Anarchy of a Storm
by BonesBoy15
Summary: How do you fight against order and peace? You introduce chaos. What if, though, the would-be chaotic forces had a force of chaos to be worried about? Anarchy is not good or evil, it just is. The checker piece on the chessboard, in a world where fighters limit themselves due to fantastic abilities and weaponry, comes a lone shinobi. T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yeah, yeah. Started another one. Sue me. ...Actually, don't. Don't do that. I literally barely have enough to get by on my own. Not like I make money off of this...Regardless, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Anarchy Of A Storm**

 **Mur Sin Ari**

* * *

The last thing that he remembered before he arrived to Remnant was the heat of battle. The rush of adrenaline flowed through his veins and a painful throb in his chest. his heartbeat rang in his ears. As it did now.

 _Why was it called a heart_ 'beat' _, anyway?_ A tall figure wondered as he casually strolled down the long, white and pristine hallway. _For that matter, why was a beat called a beat? Or the Sky called the 'sky'? A cloud a 'cloud'? Who decided how words were supposed to be used? Questions without an answer, answers that were absent to my question! Question...Question...Quest-on. No, wait._

 _Quest-I-On._

 _Quest I'm on._

 _Quest, a journey, in pursuit of riches, fame or power. One good or evil, or a simple thing like going to the store. At least this pays more...Right! Not a quest!_

 _A job! Focus on the job!_

He kept his shoulders squared and his jaw set as any he passed by straightened up and gave him a salute. He merely kept his composure as he was expected to by the 'underlings' – _Er, wait, no. They're called_ soldiers _. How dull._ – that served under his current 'face'. Rounding another corner, he caught a glimpse of 'himself' in the mirror out of the corner of his eye.

Dark eyes, narrowed and calculative fell under steel brows. A bar of metal above the right. A square jaw – _which I find so fitting for the '_ block' _-head, ha!_ – rounded out the normality of the man's supposedly handsome features. Short dark hair that started to grey along the sides and back covered his head and just the right amount of stress lines kept the 'face' from looking too old or too young.

 _And to think, I wanted to do something like this poor bozo does when I was younger! Talk about boring!_ The man thought, amused, but kept such hints of those thoughts to himself. He continued on his stride, his attention locked firmly on the door at the end of the hallway. Two more _soldiers_ stood at attention outside the door, straightening further when he stopped and rose a brow.

"General." They greeted him shortly, curtly, and distantly. Had he been easily offended, he would've sneered at the last. Had he been unable to school his emotions, he'd have laughed outright.

Instead, he nodded.

"Dismissed."

The two guards shared a look. They took far too long to jump at the free break, but finally – _Seriously, I know how long your shifts are, assholes! Why are you still here!?_ – they saluted him and walked by. He waited until they rounded the bend at the end of the corridor to enter the proper access code. However, he entered it with a little tune in mind.

 _Shave...and...a...hair-cut...two bits! Ha-ha! By the Will of Old Magic, I love that gag!_ The 'General' thought, his amusement hidden by his controlled features as the door slid open. He entered with soft clacks and waited for the door to shut, and _lock_ , before he focused fully on the occupants within the room.

The brains behind Atlas' massive military, the engineers of conquest, the madmen that disrupt the peace of Remnant, call them what you will, but they were certainly dedicated to their work if they hadn't bothered to look up at see that their silent alarm was flashing on the main console. A moment later and the alarm cut out, which brought a very small smile to the 'General's face.

"Ah! General Ironwood! I didn't expect you so soon!" 'Ironwood' looked over the _very_ short man that approached him. He was middle-aged with curly orange hair and dressed in a white lab coat with purple gloves over his hands. Glasses with blue-tinted lenses fell over his eyes and a smile on his face. The small man gestured for him to follow. "Come, come! See what we've have made for you to utilize against the ruthless White Fang!"

 _Please, I've seen puppies and kittens that bore more of a threat than these wannabe terrorists do._ 'Ironwood' thought dryly as he recalled a snowy-coated pup that urinated on him more than once and a cat that constantly clawed at his face. His eye twitched briefly before he recollected himself and followed the short man. _Keep it together, just keep it together for a bit longer..._

"When you asked for more firepower, security and mobility for field commanding officers, I initially thought you wanted more drones. Then I realized you wanted a heavy hitter! A shock trooper to lead these drones against any force! Be they Human, Faunus or Grimm alike!" The short scientist rambled, his feet shuffling quickly along the ground. His hands were folded behind him, pride oozing off of his form like it did for most of those from Mantle. However, that wasn't to say he was right to be prideful.

 _Some of these machines would've made home a very fun place. Hell, I think I would've had more fun there if we had more guns!_ 'Ironwood' thought, his small smile still in place.

"Ah, here we are. Behold! My _greatest_ creation!" The short scientist declared as he opened a shutter to display a window into a firing range. Within was what could only be called a large humanoid hunk of metal. Overall imposing to most, sure, but to 'Ironwood'...Well, he was expecting a little something with more 'oomph'.

 _There's more crap on this thing than in a farmer's field! Do they really think like the White Fang are_ that _dangerous?_ 'Ironwood' thought with annoyance.

Yes, they were terrorists and yes they'd focused most of their criminal activities within Mantle, – _or is it the Kingdom of Atlas now?_ \- but overall, there was a greater threat to concern themselves with. One slipping under their noses simply because it could.

That threat was none other than 'General Ironwood' himself.

"Fine work."

The scientist opened his mouth to thank the General for his praise, when he thought about the voice that came from the General's mouth. General Ironwood had a modulated voice, one that commanded the respect that it showed. The one that spoke, however, had a voice that was much more raucous and amused. Slowly, the scientist turned to really look at the man, who turned down at the same time, in the same manner to look back.

Once black eyes had turned blue and he was shorter than before. His shoulders and broad chest diminished slightly, as did the ever-present glove around his right hand. The left hand lifted up, drawing attention to the tanned peach skin tone instead of the soft cream shade most Mantle/Atlas natives had, and displayed a small device.

The scientist's eyes widened and he made a grab for the device. The infiltrator's right hand clapped onto his face and held him away at an arm's length.

"Easy there, short stuff! Don't want you to lose your head over something so small!" The 'General' grinned widely, his face slightly misshapen, as he shoved the man back into the window. The glass gave way to the small scientist's body and the sound drew the attention of the other creators. They looked up in alarm as the beloved 'General' spun on his heel grandiosely.

"Good day, ladies and gentle-men...Ha!" The sight of 'Iron Will' Ironwood barking out a laugh disturbed the few people within the lab. "I love that word, gentle- _men_ , as if such thing is possible! It's a joke in and of itself! ...Any who, I am today's slice of entertainment. And, if you'll just give me a second, don't do anything rash now, because the rest of the gang is on the way!"

He displayed the remote in his hand and sauntered towards the center of the lab. His grin wide and his eyes glistening with amusement. The scientists stared, frozen in fear, as the impersonator turned slowly to meet each of their eyes.

"Good, good! I love it when the cattle listen! Saves me the trouble of bringing down the prod," he said, his grin still present. "Now, today's show we're going to play a little game! It's called, Stop-what-you're-doing-or-die! The rules are simple, stop what you're doing, sit on the floor and keep your hands in your lap. Think you can manage that, kiddies?"

"...He's just one man! Get him!" One lab assistant cried, rushing forward with a sparking stick in hand. The infiltrator's smile dropped along with his arms and he sighed.

"There's always someone that has to try to steal the show. Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?" He asked. He dodged the swipes and swings the lab assistant sent his way. Fed up with the whole thing, the infiltrator caught the stick just below the sparking tip with his right hand and scowled at the young assistant. "You know, I really hate party crashers. Especially those who don't seem to understand the severity of the crime. Allow me to fix that."

He raised his left hand and pressed down on the button on the remote. There was a loud, but muffled, boom that brought a good portion of the ceiling down. The scientists and the other aids screamed while the infiltrator and his captured assailant stood in the center. The debris narrowly missed the former, who stood without a care in the world as the roof came tumbling down under his doing.

The latter, however, was not so lucky.

A large chunk of concrete with a bit of rebar fell and struck the young lab assistant square in the head. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and blood poured from the wound. The infiltrator stared down impassively at the young man and then admired the stick in his hand. He gave it a few swings before he collapsed it and stuffed it into a pocket.

The remote he used was tossed aside and he stepped atop the corpse carelessly.

"Anyone else want to step in on my act? Eh? Anyone? How about you, with the beard?" The infiltrator asked, pointing at a rotund scientist curiously. "No? You're sure? Good. Now, before we start to point fingers–" he said this whilst turning in place and pointing at every person that remained standing "– I want each and every one of you to know, I tried to keep this clean. What happens next, well...it's out of my hands."

Six ropes dropped down from the hole and as many figures, each varying in height and girth, soon descended down them. All wore simple black balaclava masks with a variety of animals imprinted on the face. Their clothes were dark in shade and armored. They wielded basic automatic rifles, the sort that could be produced en mass.

"So, now that the gang's all here, time to get the party started. Jackal and Coyote. You two get what _they_ want. Br'er, Pan and Neko, keep some of our guests company and make sure they don't try anything silly. Spider," The infiltrator hopped down from the corpse and approached at the smallest figure, putting a hand on either shoulder. He ignored the rest of the group as they went to do as he instructed. Taking a deep breath, the infiltrator rolled his neck. "Oh, my pretty little Spider... please do go make sure we're not interrupted. Kay?"

The masked figure nodded curtly and the infiltrator smiled wider, patting the shoulders of his subordinate before he let them go. He turned and put his hands on his hips, looking at the rest of the scientists turned hostages. He frowned and rubbed his chin, the skin visibly pulling as he did.

"Man, how long do you think it'll take for them to mount a counter-strike? Five? Four minutes?" The infiltrator pursed his lips in thought and then sighed. "It's so hot in here...anyone else feeling the heat? ...No? Just me? Must be all these layers."

The infiltrator pulled off the General's uniform to reveal a dark leather combat vest that conformed to his lean physique, and had a small rectangle of orange that wrapped around his back and sides only to stop at the center of his core. Rustic shoulder pads protruded from the straps of his vest. A spiral was printed onto the right shoulder while the left remained bare.

His arms were toned and revealed to the hostages, and both had intertwining tattoos inked along them. The left showed a frog pressed to the bark of a tree that had long twisting roots, each represented various people in a certain angle. The right arm held the visage of a snarling beast that was foxlike in appearance with nine long tails that twisted and curled around ancient lettering that couldn't be read properly. The ink was not shaded in, and many more common other shapes could be made out among the sleeves, such as bullet casings, smiley-faces, dust crystals and various groupings of 'Ha-Ha-Ha'.

In a surprising move, he dropped the general's pristine white pants to reveal a set of well-concealed orange pants underneath. The white shoes once on his feet were swapped out with black toe coverless boots.

"Ah, much better." The infiltrator sighed and dusted his hands off as he tossed the uniform so coveted and admired by Mantle/Atlas' people – _Seriously, what do they prefer to be called?_ He wondered – to the ground. He pursed his lips and squinted his eyes. "No, something still doesn't feel right...what could it be...what could it-Oh! That's right!"

Both of his hands went to his Adam's apple, pinching the skin and, to the amazement or horror of those watching, slowly peeled away the face that covered his head. James Ironwood's visage vanished, a relief to the hostages, and revealed the face of a youth well into his teens, if not already breaching his early twenties.

His face was round, much rounder than Ironwood's, so how he pulled such an amazing impersonation was left up to question. Black paint seemed to be sloppily wiped around his bright azure eyes as a makeshift domino mask and three whiskers were on either cheek. Sun-kissed yellow covered his head, his hair was cut short and lightly matted down by sweat, but shaved to fade out of sight along the sides of his head the lower you went.

Overall, he was a roguishly handsome individual.

"Oh, yeah." An almost orgasmic sigh escaped the youth's mouth. He shook his head out like a dog and tossed the mask aside, where it smacked into the previously pointed out rotund man. The young man ran his hands over his head and he flicked the particles he gathered forward. Blue eyes twinkled with amusement as another, louder, muffled bang shook the building and a chuckle escaped his throat.

"Ooh, Coyote loves to make noise, doesn't he, Br'er?" the youth looked towards the individual with a rabbit's face on their mask. The person, massive in size and twice as broad as the apparent boss, nodded. The youth laughed and caught a small duffle bag tossed to him by the short Neko, the cat-masked individual, which earned the person a bright smile. "Aww, thank you, Neko! I love it when you remember my toys!"

He dropped to the ground his legs crossed and began to sort through the bag. To the hostage's growing horror, he began to hum a tune while he pulled out a duo of pouches that he strapped to either thigh. Opening and checking the contents, he revealed that both contained short spade-shaped blades that had long taped handles and rings on the pommels.

Next came a black utility belt, which he quickly slipped on. Acting as his belt buckle was a small yellow smiley-face button. He flicked the button and grinned when the yellow flickered to orange. Within the pouches were strings and various throwing stars, one as small as the tip of his pinky, and one that unfolded to be as long as his forearm.

Then came the 'toys'. First it was shotgun shells that he slid into place into the straps along his shoulders. Then two dark leather bands he wrapped around his elbows followed, a quick jostle his arm showed that the portion protecting his joints could harden and soften at will.

"I call them dust bands. They use Earth Dust to harden for stronger blows." The infiltrator grinned at the hostages as he pulled out a bandolier of dust grenades, all bright orange in color, that he settled to cross over his torso. Following that came the most frightening of the toys.

One was a massive revolver that snapped open with a massive clang to reveal the four empty round chambers. Four shells went in before it snapped shut and was slid into a concealed holster at the base of the infiltrator's back. Upon closer inspection, the word, _Samaritan_ could be seen scrawled along the exposed grip of the revolver in fine cursive lettering.

Next was a frighteningly more versatile and modern weapon. It was a grenade launcher, the hostages were frightened to discover as the infiltrator cracked it open in order to load it. The chamber only fit one shot per round, but depending on the scenario, that's all their host might need. In any other case, he had the melee variant to fall back on.

"Ladies and gents, this is my Baby. My pride and joy. Awkward, sure, but she's damn good at what she does." The infiltrator told the forced onlookers as he slid his grip up the handle and jerked his arm forward. A concealed latch unlocked and the stock flipped up to rest along the base of the barrel, the edge exposed to be sharp steel that glinted in the light. "It's in your best interests to keep your mouths shut, because she's not forgiving when someone wakes her from her nap."

While the youth slid Baby onto his back and the hostages trembled, Br'er ducked his head down for a moment and put a hand along the side of his head. He then looked up and nodded at the infiltrator. The youth's grin widened.

"Oh, they got past Spider, did they? Good thing that spider bites have venomous consequences."

There was a muffled boom followed by muted screams. The youth laughed and rose up to his feet. He dusted his hands off and then hung onto the collar of his vest, looking around at his hostages.

"Well, well, folks. Good news! Show's over and we've got party favors!" The infiltrator cheered as Br'er, Pan and Neko dug around in their vests and pulled own small spherical grenades. The pins were pulled and then forced into the hostages' hands. "Now, the fun thing about these favors is that they go boom! But, they've also got quite the radial explosive capability. What's that distance, Pan?"

"Four Kilometers." A gruff voice grunted from the man in the ram's mask. The infiltrator whistled.

"Four kilos? Damn! Coyote wasn't kidding when he wanted them to refrain from doing anything with their hands," he said. He caught a couple grenades tossed his way and began to juggle them with a laugh while he walked towards the portly scientist he continued to abuse. Stopping in front of the man, he crouched down and grinned, still juggling his grenades.

"Are you afraid of me?" The man nodded. The infiltrator stopped juggling and pulled the two pins, his smile wide. His hands clasped tightly around the grenade's safety levers. "More than the White Fang?" The portly man's head and chins bobbed frantically. A toothy grin revealed the prominent fangs that the youth had and his previously round pupils became slits as his eyes turned red. He leaned in and slipped the grenades into the man's hands, while his lips brushed over the scientist's left ear. "Good, because compared to me, they're just a bunch of kids throwing tantrums. Understand?"

The man whimpered and the infiltrator leaned back in order to cup his face. The youth's feral features had vanished and he patted the frightened man on the cheeks.

"Good boy. Now, when you're done here, do a favor for me, will you? Try dieting." The infiltrator hopped back with a laugh as his accomplices finished and began to scale the ropes they initially descended from.

The infiltrator reached the ropes just as the lab doors were opened and the real General James Ironwood stormed in with his soldiers at his flank. The General was scuffed slightly and had a lovely shiner around the corner of his left eye. His dark eyes locked with the infiltrator's glistening blues.

"You!" Ironwood pulled out his sidearm and took aim. The youth grinned and pulled out a small cylinder, the top flipping open to reveal a red button. His thumb hovered over it and he looked to the hostages. Ironwood followed his gaze and his eyes narrowed.

"Now, now, Jimmy. Keep that temper in check. You wouldn't want to _blow_ this out of proportion, would you?" The youth asked, a foxlike grin on his face.

"...Stand down." Ironwood ordered his men, his hand extended out to the side while he lowered his sidearm. His gaze narrowed as the rope the young blond held onto began to rise up. Slowly he and his men advanced to look up through the created skylight. A larger than average Bullhead was rising up, with the youth dangling meters below it.

"You can remember this as the day you _almost_ caught Captain Jack Swallows!" The young criminal laughed before he disappeared out of view. A falling object caught the General's keen eyes.

 _Paper?_ Ironwood wondered with narrowed eyes as he watched the slip drift down from above. He caught the item and found it to be bare, save for a small cartoonish fox on one side. Ironwood's eyes narrowed. _A calling card._

"Sir, the-the explosives-!" One of the soldiers called out to the General.

"Get an EOD team in here. The sooner the better. ...Where's Dr. Baloratori?" Ironwood asked as he looked around.

"No, sir, look." A soldier approached with one of the grenades in hand. Ironwood opened his mouth to question the intelligence of his subordinate, when he saw the safety lever unhook.

A moment passed and then nothing.

Another moment.

"Check the rest of the bombs," Ironwood said firmly as he returned his attention to the card in his hand. He grabbed the nearest officer and pulled him aside. "Get these people out of here and take inventory. And find Dr. Baloratori! I will be in my office."

* * *

Adam Taurus was not one who enjoyed being told what to do. It was one of the reasons he rose so swiftly through the ranks of the White Fang when it became more militarized. He did jobs well enough to warrant his own command, and until recently, had been followed faithfully by everyone under him. A respect he returned fully.

Then, the train robbery occurred. Betrayed so suddenly and left to be apprehended by the police, all Adam felt now was a constant seething rage. His blood boiled and he was constantly on edge. The last few raids had gone more than awry, and he knew that his temper was at fault.

So, being called out to some random warehouse within Vale by his associate, it was needless to say he was ready to cut ties and make his own plans. An arrow of dust impacted in front of him and Adam stopped, his hand going to his sword's handle.

"My, my, so quick to anger. It would seem that my sources are right." The sensuous voice made Adam's already coiled 'spring' tense further. A raven-haired woman clad in a ruby dress stepped from the shadows. Her golden eyes glistened and his concealed gaze narrowed.

Were it not for the power this woman possessed, for the way she easily defeated his men, he would've simply cut his losses and left her to the wolves. However, she had the means and ability to end him before he could've tried to retaliate. Knowing this, though, did little to soothe his rattled nerves.

"Why did you call me here?" He asked as he forced himself to rise out of his defensive stance. The woman's lips pulled back into a smirk and Adam did his best to keep his anger in check at her smirk of superiority.

"That, dear, would be telling." The woman's response made Adam bristle, but he stayed his mouth. Despite what she thought, he wouldn't risk his people for a small thing such as pride. She turned and began to walk away, her hips swaying hypnotically as she did while her heels clacked along the ground. Adam withheld a growl and followed, as he was expected.

His associate's two young lackies waited for him, both standing in front of a massive white curtain that hid the remains of the warehouse behind it. The young man in silver that smelled of blood and metal raised two fingers in greeting while the green-haired thief-girl gave him a small grin. Adam sneered at them, his lip curling in disgust at their willingness to serve the woman that forced him and his subordinates to submit to her plan. He stopped and kept his blade at the ready while the woman continued until she stood directly in front of the cloth.

Should they try anything, he would go down fighting.

"As you are well aware, your group's actions in Atlas have left quite the mark," the woman in red said. She turned to face him and folded her arms under her bust. "That mark inspired the military to invest in more weapons developments. Some rather nasty ones, according to my sources."

 _You mean_ my _spies._ Adam's nostrils flared briefly, but quickly quelled. Let her arrogance get the best of her, it will be _her_ downfall and the fall of the rest of the Humans.

"So, I acted preemptively." The woman looked at the silver clad teen and he grabbed the curtain. A pull and it fell to reveal a massive bipedal mech that was armed to the teeth.

Adam's grip around his sheath tightened. To think Humans would go so far to keep Faunus submissive through fear.

"I believe it's called a Paladin." The woman said thoughtfully.

"This hunk of shit has a _name_?!"

Adam tensed and reached for his blade as his gaze went back to the machine. Seated atop of it, with a Scroll open in his hand, was a blond youth. He was armed to the teeth, looked to be ready for war, and – most curiously to Adam – appeared to be a Faunus. Well, if those whisker marks were anything to go by.

At worst he was one of those _odd_ Humans who fantasized about being a Faunus, did extravagant surgeries to blend and mingle. Adam...actually would've preferred it if he wasn't. Those Humans, the oddballs that they were, freaked him out.

He may have been biased due to a fiasco that occurred when he was much younger, but it still bore some fruit.

"Ah, yes, and I acquired it with this man's aid." The woman spoke again. The youth snorted and continued to fiddle with his Scroll, adjusting himself to lounge on his side with his head propped up by the arm.

"Lady, until I see some Red, Blue, Yellow and Green, you don't _get_ the machine."

"Of course. Emerald?" The woman looked at the girl, who grimaced. She disappeared to the side of the room, into the shadows, and returned with a trunk in her hands. The trunk was dropped to the ground and then pushed to rest in front of the mech.

The youth folded his scroll up and slipped it into one of his many pouches along his waist. He dropped down and landed, almost silently to Adam's amazement, in front of the mech. He popped the lid of the trunk and hummed to himself as he began to sort through the money stacked within.

From what he could see, Adam assumed there to be a small fortune in the trunk. He gave the woman a disapproving look that she ignored. Funds of that magnitude could've helped the White Fang's efforts in other lands.

"Hm, hm, hm...Looks good to me!" The youth grinned, his fanged teeth reflecting the night's light that came through the skylights. He pulled out one of the dust grenades from his bandolier, primed the bomb and dropped it into the trunk before the lid was thrown shut.

This was all done much to the shock of those watching. So much of a shock was it that they barely jumped when the grenade went off. As the container burned from the inside out, the youth started to laugh.

"Oh! The looks on your faces! Y-You'd think I'd _really_ bring you something as massive as this thing on that dinky little Bullhead?" The blond asked between his snickers. He snapped his fingers and the machine combusted into a cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared and the machine was gone, vanished without a trace.

 _Well_ , Adam thought as he looked at the woman he was subordinate to. _At least she isn't smiling anymore._

"Going back on our deal-?" The woman in question began, only to be cut off by the blond.

"Now, now, don't be so quick to jump to any nasty conclusions. After all, assumptions make an ass out of 'u' and 'me', if you'll recall." The boy smiled toothily again. He interlocked his hands behind his head. "Oh, Br'er! Bring out our luggage!"

From the other side of the warehouse emerged a large man with a rabbit mask over his face. Thrown over his shoulders was a kicking set of feet, presumably attached to a body. The muscled giant grabbed the person by the ropes that bound him and held him out, dangling him above the ground.

"Put me down you oversized buffoon! Unhand me! Do you have any idea who I am!? What I am capable of!?" The small man screamed as he attempted to get free. The boy snickered again and moved to stand in front of the captured scientist.

"What's up doc?" The blond asked, gaining the scientist's attention. The scientist's eyes went wide and his struggling ceased. Then there was a sudden unpleasant smell in the air.

"Oh, god." Adam covered his nose and turned away from the human in disgust.

The blond blinked and then began to chuckle.

"Holy crap! You pissed yourself! Wow! I've never gotten that reaction before!" The teen scratched his head. "That's actually kind of gross, now that I think about it. Funny as all shit, but damn. You must eat asparagus by the cart-load or something for your piss to stink so bad."

"Uzumaki!" the woman barked, finally able to find her voice. The blond boy turned to look at her, his hands still behind his head.

"Yeah?"

"Who is this man and what about our agreement?" The woman asked shortly. Her two lackies, as Adam labeled them in his mind, had tensed in preparation to strike. The boy, Uzumaki, looked amused.

"Silly Neechan. This _is_ our agreement!" the teen cheered as he stepped aside and held his hands out. "Introducing the creator of the Paladin: Dr. Dexter Baloratori! Ta-dah!"

"...Uzumaki..." The woman's hands glowed with fire. Uzumaki kept his smile on his face.

"Now, now, Neechan. Think about this for a minute, I grabbed the brains behind the machine and already trained him for you. I think that would be fair enough for, oh, say, triple the original deal, wouldn't you?"

"Triple!? You just incinerated what we gave you for the initial job!" Emerald snapped as she lifted her pistols. Uzumaki's grin didn't waver in the slightest.

"A job I didn't finish," he said. "It would be theft if I accepted your money, and you'd be swindling me if you took this man with just that pay. And, you of everyone here should know this, Mr. Black, never do anything you're good at for free."

The silver themed teen smirked. "Maybe, but it doesn't do you much good when you're dead."

"Hm, fair point. I on the other hand have a counter-argument," Uzumaki said. In a blur of speed he moved forward, his hand around the woman in red's throat and a blade pressed sharply between her mouth so that the corners of her lips began to bleed. She was held against a steel pillar, lifted from the ground just over Uzumaki's head.

Adam stared in slight awe. That sort of speed, he'd never seen anyone move so fast before. And on a side note, he could clearly see, much to his relief, that Uzumaki's whiskers seemed natural.

"Oi, Fang-head. You going to keep standing there with your hand on your sword or are you going to make a move?"

Adam's jaw jumped as his gaze, concealed by his mask, moved between his associate and the cause of her predicament. After a moment, he stepped back and released his sword's handle.

The woman paid this no mind and kept her wide eyes on the blond, who stared up at her, his grin still in place.

"Now, I've altered our previous deal to stand to your favor. I've even kept us from swindling each other out of a little bit of useless paper," Uzumaki said. "You can do one of two things, Neechan. You can accept the new deal and bring me my money in two days, or...you can die right now. Clock's ticking!"

"The second you kill her, they will try to kill you," Adam said. He ignored the glares the lackies sent his way for not including himself in his statement.

"They'll try, and they might succeed, or they might not. Who's to say?" Uzumaki shrugged. He kept his grinning attention on the woman in his grasp. "But, I do know that in a few seconds, my patience is about to give out, and seeing as you're a bit tongue tied, Neechan, I'll tell you what. If you want to live and pay me my money, just nod. You'll just get a little cut. Nothing too serious. Don't, and, well...I'm pretty sure that's self-explanatory."

The woman's eyes narrowed into a glare and Uzumaki's grin widened.

"Just try and call my bluff."

That seemed to settle whatever was going on in the woman's mind. She gave a gentle nod and cringed. Uzumaki was gone and she dropped to the ground, coughing and rubbing her throat. Narrowed eyes locked onto the grinning blond.

"Now, see, that's the beauty of knives. They let you see all of the little emotions most try to hide. Your surprise, anger, fear, wrath, guilt, I saw it all! Guns are too quick, but they're fun in their own way. Like my Samaritan here," Uzumaki said as he drew a massive revolver from behind him. He admired the behemoth of a gun for a moment before he holstered it again and then smiled at the group.

"Twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes and forty-eight, forty-seven, forty-six..." Uzumaki continued to count down as he and his associate backed into the shadows.

A moment of silence ensued as the woman in red rose back to her feet. She turned to reassure her lackies that she was fine, but Adam saw it.

Briefly in that moment she was held aloft by Uzumaki, all of her wit, her skill, her power, was made useless when he held her. She was afraid for her life, caught off guard by the charge.

 _As we all were,_ Adam thought. He kept his eyes on the woman as her confidence returned in the blink of an eye. Were he any less able to control his features, he'd have smirked. Were he any less sure she'd kill him for not coming to her aid, he'd taunt her.

In that moment, though, Adam confirmed that his associate was not as special as she made herself out to be.

She was just a human. A very powerful and very clever human, sure, but just a human nonetheless.

 _It seems she's forgotten the Fighter's Universal Truth._ Adam thought, recalling a line from one of his former subordinate's favorite series. _There's always someone stronger out there._

* * *

Two children stood opposite of each other, a waterfall between the banks they stood upon. They were far from normal in any sense of the term, even by Remnant's standards.

The first, a boy with long dark blue hair and slate-colored skin, stood on the left bank. From his back were two massive webbed wings that looked more like enormous hands. A blue collared shirt, navy open-toed sandals and white shorts protected him from the elements. His grey eyes narrowed and the black four-pointed star on his face scrunched up.

Across from him was a runt of a blond, clad in an orange outfit that seemed out of place in any society, and his nails had elongated into claws, ruining the open-toed sandals on his feet. Around the boy's body bubbled an unnatural red shroud that had taken the form of a beast with a long tail and two long ears. Fangs of abnormal size were bared at the one across from him. Red eyes with slit pupils seemed stuck in a glare and the three exaggerated whisker-like markings on either cheek gave him a ferocious appearance.

Both boys had one thing in common, and that was that they each had a navy headband wrapped around their foreheads. Attached to the band were metal plates that had spiral leaves carved into the center.

The two stared at one another as energies grew and took form in their hands. The Winged-Boy had black lightning covering his claws, like a lance ready to strike, and the shrouded blond had an azure sphere in his palm that swirled with malicious intent.

They leapt at one another and drew their arms back before they thrust their attacks forward.

" _CHIDORI_!" " _RASENGAN_!"

The two boys' blows collided and there was a bright flash of light.

* * *

Samaritan and Baby were in his hands before his eyes opened and his fingers were already on the triggers. The two weapons were aimed at the door that had opened and pinned down the cause. Br'er held up his hands.

"Whoa, easy Boss! Just me." The rabbit-masked giant felt sweat go down the side of his head while he stared down the barrels of Uzumaki's guns. The crazed youth's head tilted to the side, his eyes still lidded and heavy from his slumber. To the giant's relief, the guns were lifted away as the nineteen-year-old stretched and yawned.

"Dr. Baloratori all set for tomorrow?" the teen asked as he got out of his chair and tossed Baby onto the fold-out couch bed. The blond made his way over to the hotel room's mini-fridge, scratching the side of his head with the Samaritan's barrel.

"Yeah, he's all set, Boss. He knows that you've got him on lockdown." Br'er nodded and folded his arms over his chest. "Think giving Neechan that ultimatum was smart? You know that _She_ is only letting them do as they please because it makes for good business."

"Yeah and more business means more jobs for me to do to pay off my debt." The youth nodded before he stopped. Uzumaki pulled his head out of the mini-fridge and gave Br'er a death glare. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "...How long have you been active, Br'er?"

"A week, why-Wait, Boss, no, don't!" Br'er's eyes were wide with fear and his hands were held out in defense. The teen ignored him and lifted the Samaritan still in his hand, grinning widely as he backed the larger man into the wall at gunpoint.

"Nah-ah-ah...Boss Lady said that I shouldn't have you guys around for longer than three days tops. Something about the backlash doing mental damage...not that _that's_ much of a concern anymore, he-he." Uzumaki's thumb pulled down on the hammer of the Samaritan and he pressed the barrel of the gun against the big man's neck. "So, how's it going to go down this time? Want it to be fast? Gun? Or you want it to be _intimate_?"

"B-Boss, c'mon, think this through! Don't do anything brash! We're in the middle of the city!"

Uzumaki's smile vanished and he pursed his lips. His lips curled up into a scowl and more sweat began to shoot off of Br'er's head like bullets. Uzumaki growled and pressed the Samaritan further into Br'er's face for a moment before he backed away with a sigh.

"I guess you're right. I shouldn't shoot you in the hotel." Uzumaki nodded as he holstered the Samaritan. Br'er waited for a moment before he started to relax.

It would be his last mistake, because as soon as he lowered his guard, a small obsidian blade was lodged half-way into his skull.

Br'er twitched for a moment before he exploded in a cloud of smoke. His clothes fell to the ground, the mask pinned to the wall by the blade that was thrown at it.

Naruto Uzumaki stared at the spot the man previously occupied, his eyes were fogged over in thought. A moment later and he blinked, snapped from his daze. He hummed and went back to the open mini-fridge, digging around the crammed container until he pulled out a bowl that had been covered with plastic wrap.

"Bastard thought he could hide this from me, eh?! Should've known I'd have gotten it out of him eventually."

 _Probably the reason he kept such a thing from you._ A deep, gruff voice mused in the back of Naruto's head.

The teenager pursed his lips in thought as he put the bowl in the microwave.

"...Fucker! Should've peeled off his fingernails one at a time!" Naruto cursed and kicked the wall. He grimaced when the sound of plaster giving way rang in his ears and he looked at the awkward position of his foot being rammed into the wall. Naruto yanked his foot out of the wall and stared at the small hole he made.

"Well, okay." He grinned. "That's not so bad. Nothing that'll put a dent in my paych-!"

The hole cracked and spread like wildfire until the entire wall crumbled to reveal the next room over, which was thankfully empty. Naruto stared at the destruction in disbelief and then fell to his knees, a cloud of despair over his head.

"Aw man... I'm never going to be able to pay her back!" he wailed. A deep sigh broke through the chorus of snickers that echoed in his head.

 _Never thought I'd see the day where I'd miss being sealed within That Cunt. At least when she sobbed irrationally, it was due to hormones._

* * *

Throughout the antics of the crazed blond, an unnoticed dark crow watched from the windowsill before it flew off.

* * *

 **REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Anarchy Of A Storm**

 **The Calm Before**

* * *

If there were anything that Naruto was grateful remained the same between his home and Remnant, it was that his ramen existed. Or, at least, what was the equivalent of ramen. Was it even called Ramen?

 _Bah, forget technicalities! The noodles are here and_ that _is all that matters!_ Cried out a boisterous woman within his head.

"Yeah! Hey, Jiisan! Bring another bowl!" Naruto cheered from his seat at A Simple Wok. His favorite travelling noodle stand had returned to the City of Vale (which goes without saying was within the Kingdom of Vale). The old man behind the counter nodded at him and disappeared into the kitchen. The whiskered blond with markings around his eyes was not armed to the teeth today, only having his Samaritan and the shotgun shells on his person, so he was not as large a target to the masses.

 _Which is good,_ a gentle man's voice mused within the blond's head. _Considering they compensate for their single choice in weaponry with aura and semblances. You don't have that luxury._

"Do you mind, Old Man? I'm trying to enjoy my Ramen." Naruto complained softly as he set his bowl down. A sudden feeling of depression stabbed a small part of Naruto's chest.

 _O-Old!? I'm barely into my thirties!_ Argued the gentle voice.

 _More like you're halfway into your fifties. Face it, dear. You're_ old _!_ The boisterous woman laughed.

"Ma's got you there, Old Man," Naruto said with a snicker. His eyes lit up in delight as the next bowl was set before him. He grinned broadly at the chef and took a moment to slap a few cards of lien onto the counter. "Thanks, Jiisan!"

"Anytime, Psycho." The elderly cook smirked and swiped the money from the countertop. "Finish up fast, you're scaring away my other customers with your rambling."

 _Insolent old fool...He could be forced to wait on you hand and foot for the rest of his miserable life if you wished._ The dark, beastly voice growled. _Just tap into my power...Come on, Naruto. Think about it. All the Ramen you could ever want. Just open my cage and set me free._

Naruto didn't bother responding to the voice. He instead chose to chow down on his favorite meal. He'd been suffering under the arguing between Ma and the Old Man voices and resisting the temptations of the Caged Monster for almost seven years now. The causes of his insanity were also the things that kept him going after he realized he'd never get home, never get back to the ones he'd left behind, and never realize his dream.

As long as he had the voices, as long as he was never _alone_ in this world, Naruto was content with being called 'insane'.

Plus, it made life _way_ more interesting when small things like 'law-abiding' or 'fair play' were not the top things on your mind.

 _If I were a betting man, I'd say they'd triple cross me for Dr. Baloni, or whatever._ Naruto thought while he inhaled his treat. _Probably planning to cut me out of the picture for my prank last night._

 _Or worse!_ Ma gasped in horror. _You impressed that Bitch with your mad skills, 'ttebane!_

 _Are you still mad that she's basically the physical equivalent of Mikoto?_ Old Man wondered. _How many times do I have to tell you that you have no reason to be jealous of her looks?_

 _Baka! I am_ not _jealous of Mikoto-chan's sexy body, Dattebane! The Bitch is probably going to try to seduce Naru-chan to her side! He's just a baby!_

 _...I'm nineteen, Dattebayo._ Naruto groaned internally as he finished his bowl and got up from the food stand. He slipped his hands into his pockets and walked off. "Though I have to say, if she does want to seduce me, I won't complain."

 _You will_ not _be seduced by some-some self-righteous, curvaceous hussy!_ Ma yelled. The volume of the voice made Naruto wince and swirl his pinky in his ear.

"Wanna say that again? I don't think they heard you in _Mistral_!" He shouted. He ignored the many eyes that had turned his way and put his hand back into his pocket. "Besides, there's been literally not a single woman I've met who's met my-slash- _your_ standards, Ma. Be they Human or Faunus."

 _Hey, here's a weird thought! Do you think Faunus call Doggy-style the missionary position and the Missionary the Human-style? Or is it universal? Or-OR! Is there a new species of animal that has taken the role of the Dog in this world?_ Old Man mused.

 _Dear, you're perversely rambling again._ Ma deadpanned. She released a pensive hum of her own. _Although, I am curious about what we should call those positions now._

"I vote for the sagging backpack for the first and the flopping fish for the other." Naruto offered nonchalantly. "However, without any prior knowledge – no thanks to you, Ma."

 _Find the right girl to give me grandbabies and then we'll talk exotic sex positions!_

"...I am so glad you're not a real person, otherwise, this would be _super_ awkward. Although, it does raise some concerns about my subconscious desires," Naruto said thoughtfully as he rounded a corner and walked into a small bookstore. A grin spread its way across Naruto's face as he made eye contact with the store's owner. "Wazzup my fave Faun!?"

"Are you here for business or pleasure, Naruto?" The owner asked dryly. He was a middle-aged man with short brown hair and thick mutton-chop sideburns that wore a simple brown T-shirt and jeans.

"Aw, Tukson, so mean after all the things I've done for you-!" Naruto recoiled, his hands over his chest and a wounded pout on his face.

"Putting me high on the list for former members that need to be executed for treason against the Pearly Teeth, yes, what a wonderful thing you've done for me." Tukson deadpanned. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I won't ask again. Business or pleasure?"

"...Party pooper, no cake for you." Naruto grumbled sourly as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "I'm here to talk to the Boss Lady."

"Business-?"

"Dude, she's almost old enough to be my mom." Naruto deadpanned.

 _Hey! She's older than I-Your mother was!_ Ma cried out.

"My point still stands."

Tukson rolled his eyes at the insane teen's behavior and reached behind the counter. "Blackbird sings in the dead of night."

"Take his wings and learn to fly," Naruto said, a grin back on his face.

Tukson nodded and then moved his hand back up to eye view. He moved to the register and pressed down on a few keys in what seemed like a randomized sequence before the sale sign went up and the register popped open with a ding. A bookshelf in the romance section shuddered and slowly lifted up about a foot while the floor slid back to reveal a descending staircase.

"So, when's the fire sale?" Naruto asked as he made his way to the romance isle.

"Next Wednesday," Tukson said. He gave a small wave. "Take it easy, Psycho."

"Get a shave, ya fart!" Naruto called over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs. Once he cleared the bookshelf, the opening closed behind him.

Tukson shook his head and propped his chin up on the counter. "Crazy kid needs to get a laid."

* * *

"Ah, man, it's great to be back," Naruto said with a smile as he exited the long tunnel through a rusted door with a sign that read 'Maintenance Only'. Once through, he pulled the door shut behind him and pulled a lever on his left that sent a signal back to Tukson's Book Trade, alerting the owner to his arrival at the checkpoint. The checkpoint really only consisted of a small group of guards that had automatic-shotguns, similar to the mass-produced weaponry of the White Fang militia.

The guards stationed at the opening of the tunnel straightened up and tightened their grips on their guns. Naruto, more than familiar with the procedure that would come, pulled The Samaritan from its holster and held it up along with his hands. A small camera at the top of the tunnel extended out of the wall until it was a foot away from Naruto. A green light screen flickered up and scanned over the blond.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look who's back on the tracks!" Greeted a broadcasted heavyset voice once the scan completed. The camera's lens blinked like an eye before it beeped. "Word of warning: The GM's been waiting for you."

 _Uh-oh, sounds like you're in trouble._ Old Man hummed. _Think she knows about the deal gone wrong?_

"Deal didn't go wrong, I just altered the plans to our favor," Naruto said under his breath as he walked through the tunnel until he hit a large metal door branded with the symbol of Vale that dated back to The War. Two yellow sirens flashed and an alarm blared as the door creaked and groaned while it rose. The door revealed a previously abandoned subterranean train station. Once the door finished opening, the heavyset voice broadcasted again.

"Welcome back to Hel, kiddo."

"Thanks, Bert!"

With a grin on his face, Naruto walked into the Guild Hall. 'Skies On Fire' by the rock band Power Streams played through the speakers strung throughout the former station. Planks of wood and stone bricks were placed across the tracks in makeshift bridges. Dust torches hung along banisters that kept the ceiling from collapsing kept the area lit. No more than a dozen people were in the main hall. Each wore something similar to Naruto's outfit and each had their own personal touches visible in their armor. But all of them had the same smiley-face somewhere on their uniform that Naruto had.

 _I still find it hard to believe that a guild of Dark Hunters has managed to persist so long undetected in the heart of a city as large as Vale._ Old Man mused.

 _Is it so hard to believe?_ Ma asked. _They take missions mostly outside of the city, no one would think to look for them inside._

 _Unless that woman uses the White Fang to come looking for Naruto._ Old Man pointed out. _Naruto did very little to hide his scent._

"Yeah, but let's face it. If I need to, I can put my scent over every inch of this city." Naruto joked as he walked through the Guild and lifted a hand in greeting to those that acknowledged him.

He continued his stride towards a door branded with the Guild's smiley face, where the Guild Master resided. Before he could even reach the door, let alone consider opening it, it was thrown open and a tall man stormed out.

Though it was a fleeting glance, Naruto noted the man's grey hair and red eyes, narrowed in anger as he stormed past. At his hip was a massive blade, hung from his belt without a sheath, and a circular gear set just centimeters from the hilt. That indicated an alternate form, whether it be ranged or not was up in the air. The blond watched the man stop at the bar and snatch a drink from the countertop. He stormed out of the Guild with the bottle opened and his head tilted back, not bothering to look back as the door closed behind him.

 _He seemed charming._ Ma mused. _A bit grizzled, but I think he wore it well._

 _Hey, no ogling other men!_ Old Man chided sternly.

 _Then you can't ogle the Guild Master!_ Ma shot back.

 _I don't ogle her! I appreciate her beauty through Naruto's eyes._ Old Man argued.

 _...Yeah, no, I'm staring at other men's asses now._ Ma decided.

"Not with my eyes you're not." Naruto snorted as he walked into the office. He gained a bright grin and threw his arms out. "Hey, Boss Lady, I'm ba-Yipe!"

Naruto ducked under a thrown mug that shattered against the doorway. He popped back up and looked incredulously at the Guild's Master. A red-eyed woman with raven hair glared at him from behind the Master's desk. A large nodachi was settled behind her, a white, Grimm-like mask that hung from the hilt of the sheathed blade.

"What the hell, Boss!? You could've hit me with that!" Naruto complained.

"Believe me, Naruto, if I wanted to hit you with something, it wouldn't have been my brother's empty mug." The woman drawled. She sat forward and narrowed her eyebrows further. "Now explain to me why we've received word that the enemy is preparing to double cross you?"

"...Don't get mad." Naruto began, his hands raised.

"Too late for that," the woman said dryly. "If you'd arrived before my brother, maybe I would've been only a bit annoyed. Right now, however, I'm absolutely livid."

"Ah. Well...Don't get furious with me. I was merely acting in our best interest," Naruto said as he moved to stand beside the chair opposite of the Guild Master's. "May I?"

"You're going to anyway." The woman waved and sat back, scrutinizing the whiskered blond as her arms folded.

"You're too kind, Boss Lady," Naruto said with a gentle bow. He pulled the chair back and plopped down into the seat. He kicked his foot up to rest atop the Guild Master's desk, before it was smacked off. Giving a mildly affronted huff, Naruto resettled himself with his leg hanging over the arm of the chair. "So where was I? Oh right, my reasons for going against the mission."

"Again."

"Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll fish the pond dry," Naruto said, grinning.

 _That...No...Not even...Ugh that hurt my head._ Old Man muttered.

 _What? He got it mostly right. A for effort, sweetheart!_ Ma cheered.

"Aside from that being completely inaccurate and mind-numbingly stupid, please get to the point," the Guild Master said flatly.

"I decided to milk them for all they were worth and burnt the initial pay to a crisp. ...Oh, and I might have damaged the hotel you set me up in. Nothing big...Really, you-you don't have to look into it."

The woman closed her eyes, rubbed her temples and took a deep breath.

"Times like this I _wish_ I stayed on Patch."

"I wish I didn't have to watch my best frienemy get ripped apart by Beowolves, but that's reality for you. Or at least, this reality." Naruto shrugged. "Win some lose some."

"Naruto," The Guild Master said. "I'm not going to be able to sweep this one under the rug. You have a bounty on your head."

"Awesome!" _Awesome!_ Naruto and, though only he heard it, Ma cheered.

"Not. Awesome." The woman slammed her hands down onto the desk and glared daggers at the blond. "Naruto, I have defended and protected you from the Kingdoms' council and from the Brotherhood of the Sisters-"

"That is still literally the stupidest organization name I've ever heard," Naruto said, smirking. "And I'm pretty sure that last month we stopped a political rally by some ambitious douchebags calling themselves the Fourth War. I mean, there's only been one War...Officially anyway. Hm, maybe it's not so stupid..."

"Naruto!"

"Hai, Ojousama?" Naruto asked, snapped from his thoughts before that train left the station.

"You are hereby banned from Hel until further notice. If I have any jobs or work that requires your assistance, specifically, I will let you know."

"...Oh, fuck are you serious!? Shit! You're serious!" Naruto stood up in alarm. "Raven-sama, believe me-!"

Raven held up a hand, silencing him. Once his mouth clicked shut, she lowered her hand and leveled the blond with a stern glare.

"You have to start taking these missions more seriously, Naruto. We're not playing a game, we're at _war_. A war that's been on since Man and Faunus alike stepped out of their caves and began to face the Creatures of Grimm. I've tried – I've tried very, _very_ hard to make you see just how fine a line we walk. You are barred until further notice. I'm sorry, Naruto, but you've dug your own grave this time." Raven closed her eyes and sat back in her seat. "It's time that you lay in it."

"...Sorry, I zoned out for a minute there after you said 'war'," Naruto said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "What's the deal again?"

"You're on your own." Raven grabbed the nodachi beside her and glared at the blond. "Now leave."

"Nothing I say could convince you to help?"

"No."

"Hm, bummer. Oh well," Naruto said, sighing. He cracked his neck and then stretched his arms above his head. "Think you can do me a favor and make the giant vortex of doom thingy connect with my hotel room? I gotta go check on Dr. B."

"...Fine." Raven huffed and tapped her sheathed sword on the ground. A portal opened up beneath the whiskered blond. Naruto looked down and then back up with pursed lips.

"Of course you realize, this means _wa-a-a-r_!" Naruto cried out as he fell through the portal. Raven arched a brow and her lips pulled back into a small smirk as the portal closed.

"Qrow was right. That boy _will_ be the death of me."

* * *

"So, let's review the situation." Naruto mused from where he sat atop the quivering form of Dr. Baloratori, now clad in full uniform with Baby hung on his back. Across from him hung the weapons and uniforms of Coyote, Jackal, Spider, Neko, Pan, and Br'er. Naruto tossed a kunai tiredly into the air and caught it with ease as he stared at the uniforms. He pursed his lips. "I think its time this world learns just what I'm capable of."

 _Yes, make them tremble before you! Show them my power, and-!_ The dark voice snarled eagerly, only for Naruto to cut it off.

"Well, short of doing that, anyway. I'd like to get laid _once_ before that even becomes a possibility," he said with a chuckle. Naruto looked down at his captive audience. "What do you think?"

"Mmph! Mmph, mmph-mmph!"

"Oh, right. Sorry," Naruto said as he pulled the dirty socks out of the man's mouth. "Your thoughts?"

"You are an absolutely intolerable imbecile! Who do you think you are!? I demand you release me at once!" Dr. Baloratori shouted while he kicked his feet. He opened his mouth to yell again, but the pair of socks was stuffed back into his mouth.

"Totally forgot how negative and useless you are," Naruto said with a scowl. He twirled the kunai by its ring and caught the handle in his palm before he held the edge underneath Baloratori's chin. The struggling and muffled curses ceased immediately. "You really need to re-evaluate the situation I'm in, because I'm the one thing keeping you both alive and out of the White Fang's hands, you racist fuck."

Baloratori whimpered something and Naruto pulled his kunai away.

"Yeah, that was way too mean. Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you're a racist," Naruto said as he put the kunai back into its holster. He pursed his lips. "Well, if I'm going to die, might as well face it on my terms. Sit tight, Doc. You're going to see some really awesome _shit_."

 _Is it so wise to display this in front of him?_ Old Man asked.

"Who's he going to tell? General Ironwood? I'd be more surprised if Boss Lady's old schoolteacher didn't already tell him," Naruto said with a snort. He shook his arms out and stood up, walking over to the more open part of the room. Naruto grinned and held his hands up, his index and middle fingers crossed in front of him. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)."

Dr. Baloratori watched as a plume of smoke engulfed the blond and a good portion of the room. It quickly dissipated to reveal seven exact duplicates of the blond madman. The doctor's eyes went wide at the sight before him, clone semblances weren't entirely unheard of, but they usually were limited to an incorporeal form. The ones before him were solid, seen by the way the floor creaked with each step.

"Alright guys, you know the drill. Suit up!" Naruto ordered his clones. The clones nodded and their hands rapidly flipped through three hand seals.

"Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)!" The clones were once more engulfed in smoke. Were he capable of it, Dr. Baloratori's jaw would've dropped. The smoke cleared to reveal six different people, all faces that could easily be lost in a crowd and varied in height. They quickly dressed in the hung uniforms and prepared the rifles that were set-aside for them.

Spider pulled a lever on its rifle and it expanded into a sniper rifle, which he slung over his shoulders and then jumped up to the ceiling. Clinging like his mask's namesake would, the diminutive clone climbed over to the window and crawled out. The others, save Br'er, followed his path, but used the fire escape instead.

Naruto grinned and pulled a navy blue cloth from his pouch. He tied the cloth around his head, revealing a metal plate with a slash across the leaf-insignia that was carved into the plate. Naruto pulled Baby from his back and cracked the weapon open to load a grenade into the barrel.

"Br'er, you're with me and Dr. Baloratori. If they start shooting, bail and leave the doc at drop point Charlie." Naruto ordered. He snapped Baby shut and grinned. "Clear?"

"...You're not going to kill me like the last one, right?" Br'er asked.

"What? No...Of course...Well, maybe." Naruto shrugged. He slid Baby back onto his back and crossed his arms. "Does it really matter? Eventually, we all die."

"That's...kind of dark, Boss."

"I know, right? I must be feeling _really_ chipper," Naruto said with a laugh. He pushed the door open as Br'er pulled the doctor over his shoulder. "C'mon, let's get this over with. I got things to do with my life."

"Right, Boss." Br'er nodded and shut the door behind him.

A few minutes later, the room rented out to the blond went up in a blaze of fire.

* * *

"You're late."

Naruto pursed his lips in disapproval at the _male_ voice that greeted him. A man wearing a white coat and black pants sat atop one of the boxes in the warehouse that Naruto told the pretty woman to meet him in with the cash. Though, he would admit that the man had _awesome_ orange hair and a nifty bowler cap atop it.

 _Still...There's nothing like a fine pair of legs to admire when negotiating._ Old Man sighed.

 _Oh, yeah, because it's the_ legs _you're staring at._ Ma huffed.

"Honestly? I prefer eyes. The more interesting the eyes, the more interested I am," Naruto said with a smile. "And Neechan has some pretty eyes..."

The man blinked. "O...Kay...So, did you bring the midget?"

"Shouldn't we wait for your boss to get here?" Naruto asked. He looked around. "Or is she here already? Really hope she's just hiding."

"First of all, I don't have a boss," the man said with a scowl. He crossed his arms over his chest, his grip on his cane tight. "I'm a hired hand, just like you."

Naruto's grin stretched wider at the proclamation. The hired hand stiffened as the air became tense. The shadows seemed to become larger, but at the same time, the light provided by the skylights seemed to dim.

"Oh, Roman..." Naruto's eyes briefly flashed red as he met the man's startled gaze. His smile was toothy and fanged as he began to step further into the warehouse. "Roman, Roman...You have no idea just how _wrong_ you are."

"You keep your damn distance! I've got you outnumbered thirty to one!" Roman lifted his cane up, the end flipped up to a reticule. He looked around and groaned in annoyance. "What do I keep hiring you fools for? That was your cue to get out here! Now do as you're told!"

"Oh?" Naruto stopped and his grin faltered as just over two-dozen dark-suited men stepped out of the shadows, all wielding mass-produced weaponry like his clones were. Though, his clones were temporary hired guns, that these _humans_ lacked their own unique weapon... Naruto's grin widened again.

"Oh, this is good...This is _really_ funny! I mean, wow! What are the chances!?" Naruto put a hand to his head as he began to laugh. "Both of us violated the privacy exchange clause, haven't we, Roman?"

Roman's eyes narrowed and he stepped off of his box.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Walk into my parlor, said the spider to the fly." Naruto recited. "The fly did such, and wouldn't you know it? It promptly died."

"Man, she was right. You are crazy," Roman said lowly. "I'll say it again. I have you outnumbered. Now bring out the doctor!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's not how the game's played...No, the rules have changed now." Naruto rolled his head along his shoulder and widened his stance. He held his hand up, with the thumb and index finger extended. He pointed his finger at the nearest grunt in front of him and his thumb went down. "Bang!"

The men paused, lifted their weapons, before they realized the absurdity of the situation. They started to laugh and resume their advance, when the head of the man Naruto had pointed at suddenly exploded.

"Ohh! Gross! I was not expecting that!" Naruto recoiled along with the others, looking at his finger in horrified awe. He then pursed his lips and held his hand out again, trembling as he backed away towards the door. "Don't make me use this thing! I know how to use this thing!"

 _Not in the way that really matters._ Old Man said idly.

 _Don't say such things!_ Ma chided.

"Guys, trying to do a thing here, shut up..." Naruto hissed through clenched teeth. Another grunt made a step for the whiskered blond, who promptly shrieked and pointed his finger at him. "Blammo!"

Another beat passed and the man hopped back. The grunts blinked at the long pause, and just before they thought they were safe, something burst through the man's chest. The grunts and Roman gaped at the massive hole that had been left in the man's chest.

 _I wonder if these idiots even have their aura unlocked? Maybe we came here a bit too ambitious,_ Old Man said.

 _Bah, there's no kill like a good ol' fashioned overkill._ The Monster growled out.

"By the Will of Old Magic, what the fuck is he using out there? An anti-tank rifle?" Naruto cried out in alarm. He held his hands up in surrender, the gun-hand still in shape. "Okay, let's, let's try this again. I'm going to slowly put this down and kick it over to you. Okay, Roman?"

"...Do you really think you have a gun in your hand?" Roman asked, disbelief written across his and many of the unnerved grunts' faces.

"Well, to be perfectly frank, no. No, I don't. I'm insane, not stupid. ...Most of the time," Naruto said as an afterthought as he lowered his hands. The tops of the holsters strapped to either of his thighs were unlatched and Naruto took up his readied stance once again. A grin on his face. "I was just trying to psyche you out, but you've got no qualms with sacrificing these grunts, do you?"

"Considering how much I paid for their help, no. No, I don't." Roman deadpanned as he glowered at the men. He shook his head. "Where's good help gone these days?"

"I'd say over to your mother's house to give her a hand." Naruto grinned.

"...The one that manages to bring me his head will never again fear having an empty wallet," Roman said coldly.

"Oh-ho-ho! Seems like that nerve was touched!" Naruto chortled. He ducked out of the way of a sword's swing and pulled a kunai from the left holster. In his turn, he stabbed the throwing knife up into his attacker's gullet. He pulled the kunai out and rose to his full height. The body dropped and Naruto flicked the blood off of the knife in his left hand while his right hand drew the Samaritan from its holster.

"So..." Naruto began, his head ducked down. He lifted his head up and grinned, his whisker marks a bit thicker and his pupils now slits. "Who's next?"

What happened afterwards was nothing short of a massacre.

Roman watched his men get taken down one at a time, either by the lone blond or by one of the mystery gunmen that accompanied him from afar. The high-caliber sniper rounds tore through no less than six more grunts, and double that lost limbs to either the whiskered teen's misnamed handgun or to the rapid fire of four associates that emerged from the shadows. The five of ten men who didn't die that night were only surviving because of the strange throwing knives Naruto used to pin them to the steel that held the warehouse up.

The rest, well...Roman didn't want to think about what might've happened to them.

Oh yes, as soon as those others emerged from the shadows, Roman Torchwick bailed out of the plotted hit faster than a bat out of Hell.

Naruto snapped open The Samaritan and let the four empty shell casings rain down on one whimpering survivor. The man was extremely lucky; he was only _grazed_ by one of the Samaritan's shots. Still, that chunk of his thigh was not going to heal overnight.

"So, I guess the next logical step would be to interrogate you for the pretty Neechan or Roman's locations, but seeing as you've only been hired on as what amounts to be a meat shield, I think that'd be a moot point." Naruto mused as he slowly began loading the Samaritan's four chambers. "Not to mention the cops are going to have a freaking field day with this. I daresay those sirens are on their way here now."

"P-Please don't kill me...P-Please..." The grunt whimpered. Naruto pursed his lips into a frown and knelt down beside the wounded man's side. He placed a finger on the man's lips.

"Oh, shh-shh-shh, don't cry. No one likes to see a grown man cry." Naruto tilted his head and pulled his hand away. He snapped The Samaritan shut and holstered it behind him again. "Er, well, I don't like to see grown men grovel. It's _disgusting_ , to say the least. So, I'm-a tell you what I'm-a gonna do. If you tell me _who_ handled your contract and spread the word about the bounty on my head, I'll let you go. Swear it on my best frienemy's tombstone."

"J-Jun-Junior...Th-The Club..." The man sobbed. He grabbed onto Naruto's arm. "P-Please..."

"There, see? Wasn't so hard, now was it?" Naruto smiled and patted the man's head as he gently pried the man's hand from his arm. "I'm a man of my word. Which is why, I'm not going to kill you. However...I'm-a tell you a secret."

Naruto leaned in and whispered into the grunt's ear.

"I'm not gonna save you either."

"N-No! No! Please!"

Naruto ignored the man as he reached for him and stood up. The blond whistled the tune that had been playing in Hel's Hall and stepped over the other wounded or dead bodies as he walked out. Naruto paused and pulled Baby from its holster on his back. He turned and aimed far at the end of the warehouse.

 _Naruto, you promised to let him go._ Ma scolded.

"...But I didn't promise to let the others go."

 _Stick to your word, Naruto._ Old Man warned. Naruto's eyes flashed.

"Since when have I been able to do that?" the blond asked, his voice empty. Before the other two voices could chime in, the third gave its opinion.

 _Do it._ The Monster urged. _Scar this planet with your wrath. Let them know what now walks among them. The Pariah of Konohagakure no Sato...The Demon Child..._ That _Uzumaki Boy...These are who you are, Naruto. And now_ that _woman has no say in what you can do. She's_ exiled _you, Naruto. Abandoned you when you needed her most._

Naruto's hand trembled.

"Don't...Don't say it. Don't say it. Please, don't say it." The blond whispered and clenched his jaw.

 _Just like everyone else._

A shuddering breath escaped Naruto's lips. A choked sob followed, and after that came a gentle laugh broke from his lips. The trigger-finger tightened and a sharp, windy _thump_ echoed in the night as the grenade launched from the Baby's barrel. The projectile struck something and the beginning light of a fire began to spread.

 _Naruto!_ Ma and Old Man cried in disapproval.

 _Good...Good..._ The Monster cooed. _Now, come here...see me...And release-_

"Shut up." Naruto slid Baby back over his shoulder and walked away from the slowly rising warehouse fire. "There's no Dust or ammunition there to blow, just a fire that'll slow the investigation down. It'll keep the law off of my back for a bit."

 _...You're going to continue this? You're one person, Naruto!_ Ma said.

 _You don't have to do this alone._ Old Man hedged. _You can go back to Hel and ask-!_

"No. Raven-sama's right. This _isn't_ a game." Naruto grinned as he leapt up and landed atop the edge of the nearest roof. He snickered. "This is war. And war...is no joke."

 _Then why are you laughing!?_ The voices demanded.

"I'm laughing because it's precisely that. This war...it's a big fucking joke. This whole thing, all of it, is a big. Stupid. Joke." Naruto wiped a tear from his eye, his smile almost forced as he did. "There's no reason for Faunus and Humans to hate each other, no reason for the White Fang to be at arms against Humanity, no reason for Humans to think they're better than Faunus! It's all a joke, a _prank_ , crafted by the worst threat to come."

 _Humph, Humanity always acts in its own interests. Even you, Boy, are no exception to that._ The Monster snarled. _Whatever horrors come for them is too good, in my opinion._

"Maybe you're right, and maybe you're not." Naruto mused as he kicked the rooftop door in. He gained a smile again as he began his descent. "I can't say whether it's right or wrong. So I guess I'll just have to keep getting my hands dirty, and hope someone else can find the answer that will dispute your claims."

* * *

"Thirty bodies, Raven." The scraggly man paced the office of Hel's Guild Master, all while the master in question watched him dig a trench into her floor. "Thirty men, dead. Gruesomely killed! Hell, I've seen Grimm attacks that weren't hardly as stomach churning!"

"I fail to see how this is my fault." Raven Branwen arched a brow and kept her arms folded while she patiently watched her guest. "I told you this would happen."

"No! You told me that he needed guidance!" The man snarled as he rounded on her, his red eyes glaring into hers. "You told me that you knew what you were doing! Then what the hell do you call this!?"

"If I recall, I believe you told me to let your beloved 'Brotherhood' handle him. I was merely giving you the opening to do so. Then again, perhaps it'd be better if I hadn't. I mean, after all..." Raven sat back in her seat and glanced at a photo on her desk. "Look at what happened to Summer."

"Don't. You. _Dare_." The man's hand flattened against the desk while he pointed a finger in Raven's face. "You keep her out of this. This isn't about what happened to Summer and this isn't about _you_ , Raven! This is about that kid and what he did!"

"And what did he do that was so wrong, Qrow?" Raven countered, her tone even and her emotions schooled. "Did he break the law? Did he steal crate-loads of Dust? Did he assassinate a Councilman?"

"He killed _thirty_ men-!" Qrow growled.

"In self-defense, I would presume." Raven hummed. "I've taught him that the best way to keep yourself from having too many enemies, would be to prevent any from holding grudges."

"I don't care what you say, Raven! This...This was _not_ self-defense!"

"No, you're right. Perhaps he did go a little overboard."

"Do you even _hear_ yourself!?"

"Do you?" Raven countered, still cool and collected. "Do you, Qrow? Do you hear yourself? Do you know who you sound like?"

"Ozpin?" Qrow snorted.

"You sound like a General, Qrow. Or, to be more accurate, you sound like _Atlas'_ General."

"...Raven, I can't keep coming back here to warn you. Ozpin is not willing to play this game anymore," Qrow said firmly.

"Oh, really? I beg to differ." Raven stood from her seat and folded her hands behind her back. "He's still overseeing Beacon, is he not? 'Preparing the future for a brighter tomorrow'."

"You will _not_ insult Ozpin. Not in front of me." Qrow warned softly. "Sister or not, insult him again, and there will be consequences."

"Will there? Oh, how frightening, Qrow." Raven quirked a small smile. "Do you have anything else to say, or should I presume this conversation over?"

"...Keep your dogs on shorter leashes, Raven, but be careful of their bite." Qrow snapped before he turned and stormed out of the room.

Raven sat back down in her chair and closed her eyes.

"It's not the dogs I need to worry about, Qrow. It's the wounded fox."

* * *

 **REVIEW**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Anarchy Of A Storm**

 **Clouds Rolling In**

* * *

The Club was one the hottest places to be if one chose to entertain themselves with Vale's nightlife. It always had the best music and drinks, with a lively crowd either on the dance floor or at the bar. It was the pride and joy of Hei "Junior" Xiong, who used The Club's success to cover his real money making business, that is, the criminal sort of business.

Muscles for hire, trafficking of any sort, money laundering, these were but a few of the sort of jobs that Junior dealt with. He was left alone by police officials that he couldn't pay off simply because he knew too much. He had the right connections both in and outside of the law. He made the right deals when the time came for it, and knew when not to shoot someone down just because they pissed him off.

Well, most of the time.

Sometimes, he faulted, but he was Human. That's what they did. They were _faulty_. So when a teenage girl came in demanding the whereabouts for one of the few people Junior did his best _not_ to get on the wrong side off, he erred in believing that forcing her to leave would let him off without trouble.

He was wrong.

So wrong, that now, that same brat came back with another brat to ask him more questions that he _really_ didn't want to answer.

"So, you really don't know anything?" The question, filled to the brim with disbelief, came from the brat of a blonde bombshell. She had ditched her more revealing outfit in favor of something that looked more mature. Her lilac eyes were flat and looked at him with poorly hidden annoyance.

Mostly because he refused to serve her a drink, but he'd be damned if he'd treat the girl that humiliated him and his men like she had to anything.

"No. I _don't_. He hired my goons a while ago and got them _killed_. Then, he disappeared up until that dock incident a few nights back." Junior snapped. He looked over at his twin in-house bouncers, Miltiades and Melanie Malachite, from where they watched at a table nearby. They were entertaining a tall, broad-shouldered fellow with short, straight blond hair and striking blue eyes.

That man tipped _very_ well, so Junior would, this one time, forgive the girls for leaving him to suffer. The barman looked at the brat's 'boyfriend', a skinny, jumpy teen that was constantly adjusting how he leaned against the bar whenever a woman of interest walked by. Junior resisted the urge to snort as he dismissed the boy as a threat. He was almost sad to watch, but damn if it wasn't amusing.

"You're sure? Because-?"

"Listen, _girl_." Junior cut the brat off before she could say anything more. "I don't _like_ you. You kicked my ass, yeah, so I respect you, but not _that_ much. Not enough to dig around in the mud for whatever your heart desires. And certainly _not_ for free. So listen to my next words very carefully: Walk. Away. You're in over your head."

"Yeah, sure I am." The girl snorted in what could only be described as teenage arrogance. She got off of the stool. "So, thanks for all the useful information, Junior, but I'm afraid I'll take my business elsewhere."

"Oh, no. Not that." Junior drawled in deadpan. "Anything but-"

The DJ's music stopped at the sound of the skylight's sudden implosion. Several figures in dark militia uniforms dropped down from above, one wearing a prominent amount of orange of all colors. Women screamed, men gasped, and panic started to ensue. That is, until the dark-suited people with animal-marked masks on their faces began ordering – or in one poor bastard's case, forcing via violence (rifle stocks to the face had to hurt, Junior mused) – the visiting nightlife to sit down and shut up.

Junior cared little for the show of force. It happened every now and then, so his reputation never took that much of a hit – unless you and your men were taken down by _one_ girl. That cost him more than a few pocket-fillers. Speaking of lien, Junior groaned at the cost of fixing the skylight, replacing the broken furniture _and_ his doors.

"What is it with you people and-!?" his annoyance was cut short when a _loud_ gunshot rang out. The source being the lean figure in the orange and black, that now stood atop the table where Miltiades and Melanie were seated with the generous benefactor.

He was about the twins' age, if not a year or so younger, judging by his height. Wild, untamed golden locks sprouted from his head and make-up smeared blue eyes danced around the room. The massive revolver in his right hand raised above his head made Junior's eyes bulge. That thing...That orange...Junior knew who this kid was.

 _Oh, well...Fuck me sideways in my ass!_ Junior slowly inched away, trying to disappear to his safe room without being noticed.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" The young man grinned widely as he lowered his weapon and his associates began to usher the dancing party to the side. "We are...Damn, I had something for this. Hold that thought, will you?"

"Excuse me!" The blond benefactor seated with the Twins shot up from his seat, his voice haughty and annoyed. He glared at the teen that was checking the dozens of pouches on his waist. "Who the devil do you think you are?!"

"...Oh, are you talking to me?" The youth looked up and pointed at himself with his free hand.

"Yes! Who else would I be talking to, you buffoon?! Who do you think you are, barging in here and ruining everyone's good time?! You and-and-and your little friends?! Your little gang of miscreants! How _dare_ you-!"

Junior didn't know who the benefactor was, just that he had money, and right now, he was thanking the arrogant bastard for distracting the teen so that he could slip away. Though, it wasn't like the bravado would've gotten him time with The Twins anyway.

Those girls had... _other_ tastes.

* * *

Naruto stared in amusement as this no-name chump talked at him like he was a somebody. The man ranted and raved about Naruto's lack of morals, his 'gang' (his clones) and their absolute lack of personality, the nonsensical violence that was being displayed.

 _And I thought sensei could prattle on forever._ Old Man mused.

 _Yeah, but at least his stories were funny!_ Ma chimed. _This is dick waving to get laid and that's a_ huge _turn-off._

By the time the man stopped to take a breath, everyone was staring at him.

"...Are you done now?" Naruto asked, his smile still in place. The man scowled and nodded.

"Yes! Now, are you going to answer my question?!"

"Which was?"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Oh, that's obvious!" Naruto let out a small chuckle. He then held The Samaritan up and aimed the barrel at the man's head. The high and mighty sense of authority vanished as soon as he stared down the massive dark barrel. Naruto wasn't surprised, and his amusement vanished rapidly as he pressed The Samaritan into the man's forehead. "I'm the guy with the gun, _dumbass_."

"Y-Yes...well..."

"Oh, shut up. I'm not here for you, your girlfriend...s, or any of you really," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes as pulled The Samaritan away, stepped off the table and dropped to the ground. His eyes scanned the crowd and he scowled. "I'm here with a question of my own that I want answered. Where's Hei Xiong?"

Naruto began to walk through the people who were too horrified or, as he guessed, still awestruck by the rant delivered by the blond pretty-faced nobody.

"Hei Xiong? _Hey_ Xiong! Hei _Xiong_?" Naruto called as he maneuvered through the crowd. He stopped and grabbed a middle-aged man by the head. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Hei Xiong? Goes by Junior? You seen him? I gotta talk to him about something. Just something little. Have you?"

Before the man could reply, Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Nope, obviously not," he said dully as he pushed the man's face away and resumed his search within the crowd. "Hey Hei! Hey-y-y Hei! Hey, hey, Hei! Hei-Oh! We say, Hei-Oh! Hei-Oh, where you at? I just wanna talk!"

 _You're getting tired of looking for him already aren't you?_ Old Man asked. Naruto stopped, a sarcastic smile on his face as he stared blankly at a small group of people.

"No! I'm not getting bored! In fact, I'm having a good time! The best time!" Naruto blinked and refocused on the small party. His smile turned predatory as he addressed them; the grin that spread across his face was like that of a fox that'd broken into the hen house. "Are you folks having a good time?"

They didn't dare breathe, let alone nod.

"Sorry to hear that," Naruto said sincerely. He snatched one of the untouched bottles from the table and put his thumb under the lid. A firm amount of pressure and the cap flipped off, clattering over on the floor a good distance away. Naruto tilted his head back and let the beverage pour into his mouth.

The refreshing taste he'd sought was not what he received, as his face scrunched up in disgust and he spat out the drink. The bottle, fresh, newly opened and still quite full, was thrown away to shatter where it land.

"Ugh! God! It's no wonder you people are having a bad time!" He grabbed the utensil's napkin and scrubbed at his tongue furiously. When he finished he shuddered and dropped the napkin onto the table. "Disgusting...That's piss water, not alcohol..."

 _Oh, come on! Naruto's got yo-his_ father's _taste in drinks!?_ Ma whined. _That's no fun! You can't get drunk when you can't afford to buy the drink!_

 _Hey! Not all of us like to poison our livers twenty four seven!_ Old Man shot back. _Besides, it means he has a finer sense of taste buds._

 _Lame!_ Ma jeered. _It also means he's a lightweight._

 _Yeah, sure. A lightweight Uzumaki._ Old Man snorted. _That'll be the day._

"Siding with the Old Man on this one." Naruto muttered to himself as he stormed towards the bar. One of the henchmen – judging by the attire that matched that of the thirty something fools that burnt along with that warehouse a week ago – stepped in his way. Naruto would've laughed if he already weren't as irked as he was.

"Move it, match stick." Naruto grunted as he dealt a firm backhand to the thin man. The henchman was knocked to the side, where he crashed through a table. Possibly due to The Samaritan's assistance, but Naruto was going to chalk it up to his own badassary either way.

"Hei! If you don't come out soon, I'm going to have to get drastic!" Naruto warned as he climbed onto the bar. He pursed his lips when the people continued to stare. "C'mon, man, I just want to talk! I promise!"

"You know, maybe if you didn't come crashing in through the ceiling he'd be more willing to talk." Naruto looked incredulously at the previously unnoticed, but notably very pretty, blonde that was seated at the bar. Her eyes – a very interesting shade of light lilac – were on him warily, but her lips were pulled back in a tight smile.

"Yeah, but... someone already broke down the front door." Naruto shrugged as he moved to crouch on the stool beside hers, matching her gaze evenly. He grinned again, his smile wide, as she tensed at the sudden proximity between them. "And I like to make an entrance as memorable as I make my exits."

 _Ha! Sex jokes!_ Ma snorted. Naruto looked up and tilted his head.

"Was it? I didn't think it was one..." he muttered. Ma and Old Man sighed.

 _We'll explain it when you're finished,_ Old Man said.

 _Snrk-Nice one!_ Ma laughed loudly.

Naruto pouted as the joke flew over his head.

"Er...Well, you know, hostages also make for a dampener of speaking terms." The girl said, taken aback by Naruto's conversation with his voices – not that she knew it was one.

"Hostages?" Naruto blinked and looked back at the tense girl. He looked over at the crowd and then once more locked his blue eyes with the girl's lilac. "You're not hostages, I'm just looking for Hei 'Junior' Xiong. Everyone else is free to go."

The moment he said those words, people bolted for the door. Without looking, Naruto aimed The Samaritan under his left shoulder and pulled the trigger. The shot struck the ground before the first person could leave, and the would-be fleers looked at the blond in fear. Naruto met their gaze with a deadpan stare.

"Let me correct myself: Once I _find_ Hei Xiong, _then_ you're all free to go."

"He's not here." Naruto looked back at the girl, his gun still aimed towards the would-be runaways. She frowned momentarily and her right hand balled into a fist. Samaritan was pressed against her stomach before she could blink. Lilac looked into smiling blue.

"Ah-ah-ah...Pretty eyes or not, I'm not afraid to make a mess if I have to. Please don't make me have to, I really just came here to talk with Junior." Naruto pulled The Samaritan away and let it rest barrel down between his legs. "Then again, I get the feeling you've got your aura unlocked, unlike most of them."

He nodded at the henchmen that'd gathered around their fallen friend. They'd pulled mass-manufactured swords from only God knows where. The goons looked about ready to make a move when Naruto sighed.

"Br'er...Please get the bad veggies out of my garden, will you?"

"Sure thing, Boss." The massive rabbit-masked clone swung his rifle over his shoulder where it clipped onto place on his armor. Then, cracking his knuckles and neck, Br'er made his way to the goon squad.

As punches, bodies and swords began to fly, Naruto returned his attention to the girl at the bar. He pursed his lips and squinted his eyes as he examined her face.

"...Are you even _old_ enough to be here?" Lilac eyes' became a bit more relaxed and her lips quirked up a bit further.

"Are _you_?" Naruto grinned and lifted his free index finger to waggle between them.

"Now, now, I asked first."

"Point. However, it's not polite to ask a lady's age." The girl pointed out, a grin on her face.

"It's _also_ not polite to instigate a conversation without introducing yourself first," Naruto chirped as he lowered his hand. He held his hands out to the side and shrugged. "But, for the sake of finding Xiong, I'll apologize for my rudeness."

 _I don't believe it! He's apologizing for being rude!_ Ma exclaimed.

 _I know!_ Old Man whistled. _There really_ is _a first time for everything._

"Shut up, I'm trying to be nice." Naruto grumbled as he ducked his head down to the side, 'glaring' at his voices.

"Um...A-are you okay?"

"Jury's still out on that," Naruto said with a shrug as he met the girl's gaze again. "So, about Hei 'Junior' Xiong..."

"Oh, he ran away about ten minutes ago," Lilac Eyes said. Naruto's smile dropped.

"What."

"Yeah, ducked down a secret tunnel behind the drinks while we were listening to blubbering big-bucks over there," the girl said, a thumb pointed over her shoulder at the blond that'd had quite the tirade earlier at Naruto's expense.

Naruto felt his eye twitch. His nostrils flared as he started to take deep, calming breaths. The grip around The Samaritan became so tight, his knuckles threatened to burst through his skin. His blood boiled and he saw red. Evidently, the girl saw red, too, because Naruto's eyes changed from the bright blue to a radiant red, and his pupils became very thin slits.

" _Really_?" Naruto growled and she tensed again. He leaned in and his predatory smile returned. "Thanks, _Tenshi_. You've been a grand help. It's been fun, but I've got some catching up to do with Xiong."

Before she could get another word in, Naruto hopped over the bar and holstered The Samaritan. He grabbed onto the nearest liquor shelf with both hands and ripped it, drinks and all, from the wall with an animalistic roar. A smooth metal wall stared him in the face and Naruto scowled as he put his hand against it.

 _Could be thicker than it looks,_ Old Man said warily. _And there could be more traps waiting past it._

"Right..." Naruto narrowed his once more blue eyes and turned around as he pulled Baby from where it rested on his back. He hopped the bar again, landing beside the stunned blonde and a blue-haired teen that stood beside her.

"You can all go now." Naruto announced calmly as he cracked Baby open, loaded it, and walked away from the bar a few paces.

The people rushed out of the destroyed front door in waves, all eager to get as far away from the madman and his intimidating group as possible. This, ironically enough, included the twin bouncers and the haughty-turned-coward pretty boy.

Naruto snapped Baby shut and rounded once he was ten feet away, standing adjacent to Br'er and the pile of unconscious goons beside the massive clone. The blond took aim at the metal door and he narrowed his eyes at the two teens still standing by the bar.

"Oi!" He shouted at the two. The blonde and the blue-haired teen snapped out of their daze and kept their full attention on him. "I'm not _asking_ you to get out! I'm _telling_ you. Move...or _die_. Your choice, not mine."

"R-right!" The blue-haired teen grabbed the blonde by the wrist and pulled her along as they joined the fleeing mob.

Once they were out of the way, Naruto's grin widened.

"Boom, Baby."

The wall exploded when the grenade struck it, a massive hole easily twice Naruto's size in height and width was all that remained. The bar was in splinters, and the alcohol had caused a few small fires to start. The sprinkler system kicked in immediately and began to rain down onto the blond and his disguised clones.

"...Oh, _Junior_ ~! I just want to talk to you." Naruto murmured as he slid Baby back over his shoulder and walked into the smoky hole. His clones followed one at a time, with Spider taking up the rear.

* * *

"Man, I thought we'd never get out of there!" the smartly dressed blue-haired teen let out a heavy sigh of relief. He rounded on the buxom blonde that he'd manage to pull out after him before there was an explosion in the club. "What were you thinking?!"

"Whoa, tone it down, Neptune." The blonde pushed the boy, Neptune, back. She folded her arms under her generous bust and scowled at him. "I was assessing the situation! We were never in any danger."

"Yang, d-do you even _know_ what just happened? Who that guy _was_!?" Neptune asked in disbelief. He pointed at the Club, which now had smoke drifting out the windows and door. "We just escaped from a psychopath, who had _you_ at gunpoint."

"Junior made this bed on his own, and since Senior wasn't around to pick up the slack, he's got to lay in it," Yang said simply and shrugged. "Besides, he couldn't have hurt me even if he tried. He knew I had my aura unlocked, yeah, but not what my semblance was. And cute or not, if that Nutjob tried anything, I would dish back what he dealt out tenfold."

"The fact that he knew your aura was unlocked at a _glance_ is what makes him dangerous!" Neptune groaned. He prepared to say something else, but sputtered when Yang walked back towards the club. "Wha-What are you doing!?"

"Going back in. Duh." Yang snorted before she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "You coming or what?"

"Are you insane?! No, wait. Don't answer that. You clearly are," Neptune said flatly with his hand up. He grabbed his head with his hands when Yang shrugged off his insult and ducked into The Club. "Argh! I'm so killing Sun when this is over. This is all his fault..."

Neptune jogged after the blonde to provide Yang with the backup he believed she would need. They stopped outside the hole that the armed assailant made earlier with his grenade launcher. Neptune gulped and pulled his rifle from where he holstered it behind him while Yang's gauntlets unfolded out over her arms.

"You sure you want to do this? What about the others?" Neptune asked. Yang glanced at him with a half-smile.

"Hey, if you're scared, go outside and wait for me. I got this."

"I'm not scare-Okay, yeah I'm seconds from dropping bricks," Neptune said with a shudder. "This guy, Yang...he's _not_ some cute miscreant like Sun is."

"I'm _so_ holding _that_ against you," Yang said with a snort as she walked over the remains of the bar into the hole.

"That's not what I meant-! Ugh! Why couldn't I have just gone to the CCT?" Neptune groaned. He stomped in after Yang and quickly caught up to walk beside her with his rifle at the ready. "This guy is _crazy_ , Yang. He's wanted for _homicide_ in Mistral."

"So? This is _Vale_ , Neptune. We don't have murderers." Yang tilted her head in thought as they continued to travel down the massive hallway. "Shootouts in the street, sure, but not murders. Besides, that's all the more reason to go after him if he's that bad. Shame. All the cute ones always turn out to be so rotten."

"Flattering, but the Boss would prefer to be called handsome instead of cute." A guttural voice echoed around the two teens. Yang and Neptune went back to back, the blue-haired boy's rifle darting around in the darkness while the buxom blonde's fists came up in a boxer's ready guard.

"Boss, huh? So he's good looking and top dog? Woof." Yang joked, her lips pulled into a crooked grin. The guttural voice let out a small chuckle.

"Funny. Very funny. Not all that bright, though, are ya?"

Yang's smile fell and she scowled. Yes, she was blonde. Yes, she had difficulties in the classroom, mostly paying attention, but most of the topics were so _boring_. She _was_ trying to improve that, if only to ensure that she'd be able to get her Huntress license. The point of all this was: Yang did not take kindly to this bastard calling her out on her lacking scholarly skills.

"Come say that to my face!" She snapped as her eyes flicked red and her hair lit up. There was a pause before the voice let out another chuckle.

"Very well."

From the shadows a bit ahead of her, a figure slowly crawled along the ceiling. Neptune rounded where he stood and leveled his barrel on the smaller man while Yang glared at the revealed speaker as he descended along the wall. He stopped short from crawling completely down to display an impressive, and almost disturbing, amount of flexibility as he lowered his legs over his head before they touched the floor. Yang was sure that there was a grin hidden behind his mask as he approached her. The commando-esque short person stepped close until he was right within Yang's reach. The short man's solid-black eyes locked on Yang's red.

"You're not all that bright. Are you?"

Yang let out a snarl and made to punch the little annoyance right in his smug face. Her arm stopped before it fully extended. Thin, ultra-light wires that she'd never seen before had wound around her body as soon as she made her move. Judging by the yelp that echoed from next to her, it could be properly assumed that Neptune was caught like she was.

"You should beware the Spider's web." The little man told her as he lifted his hands and the small light her semblance gave off revealed the thin wire's presence around his fingertips. Spider's eyes gleamed as he tugged his left hand back and Yang's arms were bound to her chest and side respectively. "Else you be made into my snack."

Yang growled as she strained against the binds. "I'm not into this bondage stuff!"

"Might as well get comfortable, girl. You're not the first 'power' type I've bound." The Spider chuckled as he curled his fingers into a tighter fist. Whatever leeway Yang had made, had been sapped from her as the wires tightened. The Spider's eyes squinted as the wires left a cut on Yang's arm through her top. "Careful, it's like a Mistral finger-trap, the more you struggle..."

"The more it hurts..." Neptune whimpered. Yang looked at him incredulously and he glared at her. "I told you this was a bad idea! And that I was not comfortable with it!"

"Bite me." Yang spat as her semblance dwindled away. She glowered down at the short man. "So now what? Gonna kill us, too?"

"Kill you? Heavens no. That's not my call. Now, come on." Spider turned and tugged, pulling them forward to reveal their legs were just free enough to allow small steps. "Boss will have questions for you."

* * *

After a long, uncomfortable walk filled with scathing glares and jabs sent at the small man by Yang, they arrived in a small comfortable safe room just in time to see Junior get tossed through his personal bar. The back of the information dealer slash business man cracked against a massive mirror that sat behind the bar, small bottles of expensive drinks shattered as the shelves beside it gave out. Junior groaned where he lay. His head lulled towards the teens, which revealed his face now scarred with a deep cut along the side of his brow, more than one tooth had been dislodged and blood ran from his likely shattered nose.

On the other side of the room, looking hardly winded in the slightest, was the Cute Nutjob that Yang spoke with before. Unlike Junior, he was hardly winded, let alone hurt, in the slightest. Behind him were the rest of his 'Animal Friends', all seated around or on the expensive bed casually with their weapons in their laps or holstered. Yang watched her fellow blond walk up to the downed man and kick Junior's bazooka away. He pointed his massive handgun at the bartender's leg and grinned as his thumb pulled back on the hammer.

"Don't worry, The Samaritan will heal you for negative damage." The Cute Nutjob told the man. Junior looked at him like he'd suddenly grown a third head. From the side, Yang heard a soft groan.

"Boss' playin' with his food again." The Coyote masked man muttered, his voice hoarse, and shook his head.

" _A fool without friends / The path he walks is shadowed / Let Boss have fun._ " The diminutive Neko muttered softly.

"You're evidence that Boss is fucked up, you know that, right Neko?" The Jackal masked man pointed out, amusement dancing in his yellow eyes. The diminutive ...person looked towards Jackal without betraying any sign of emotion. Jackal snickered and shrugged. "Then again, you're right. We're all testament to that."

"What does he mean by-?" Yang's question was cut off when the Cute Nutjob pulled the trigger and his shot echoed throughout the safe room. Yang blinked and shook off the tinnitus that briefly overcame her hearing, more grateful than ever for her gauntlets' own loud shots to prepare her for the loud ring.

When she got her hearing back, Yang was slightly unnerved to see the Cute Nutjob hover over Junior's form as the underworld's information dealer cradled his now useless knee. Beside her, Neptune swallowed down his reflexive gag and looked away. Yang's eyes, however, remained glued to the scene, despite how badly she wanted to do the same.

"Oh, whoops. My bad! Totally forgot that negative damage isn't a thing without the right cheat code," C.N. said with a laugh while he smacked his forehead. "Sorry, Junior. Anything I could do to make it better?"

"Wh-what do you want from me, Uzumaki?" Junior whimpered. Yang's ears perked up at the name, and she found herself glad to call the teen something other than both a compliment and an insult. She grimaced when Uzumaki's grin dropped into a loathing scowl.

"I just wanted to know where that Fall bitch is. Why? Simple! That bitch, and I'm being _generous_ with the term, put a fucking _hit_ on me! _Me_!" Uzumaki bared his teeth and pressed his massive revolver's barrel against Junior's head, the bartender whimpering as the heated tip burned into his forehead's open wound. "Then, when I tell you I just want to _talk_ , to ask you where that bitch is, what do _you_ do? You shoot a _motherfucking_ rocket at _me_! Forgive me, Junior, for being just a bit, perhaps a tad, _peeved_!"

"Then...Y-You're not here to kill me?" Junior asked around a hiss as he applied pressure to his leg wound. Uzumaki stared at him incredulously and pulled his revolver away.

"Wh-?" The bemused smile that spread across his face turned into a laugh. "Kill you?! Wh-Why would I want to kill you? Junior, you're my go-to guy! I wanted information on Fall!"

Uzumaki then paused and looked up thoughtfully.

"...No, I'm pretty sure the seasons have the same names here, Old Man," he said, softly to himself. A beat passed before he nodded. "Yes, I can see your point, but we've been here for a few years, Ma, so I'm fairly certain that I'm right."

Yang turned to Neptune and he met her wide eyes with his. He nodded at the blond and then mouthed one word.

 _Psycho_.

Yang couldn't find any reason to refute the claim. Yeah, she called him a Nutjob, but it was mostly meant in jest. She thought he was just playing around when he muttered to himself. Clearly, though, the teen had more than a few screws loose, and that meant he needed help. Unfortunately, any such method to suggest Yang had yet to think of would have to take a backseat while she watched the teen get addressed by Junior once again.

"She's...Off the grid." Junior grunted as he pushed himself to stand on his good foot. He favored his ruined one and brushed his hand against the back of his mouth. "Rumor has it...she's out of town. Went home."

Uzumaki snapped his attention back to the club owner. He scowled and, before Yang could blink, drove his forehead into Junior's bleeding nose. The two students winced as the man slumped down to the ground, unconscious, while his psychotic assailant wiped the blood off of his head.

"That was so not what I wanted to hear." Uzumaki growled in frustration. He raked a hand through his hair and then let it rest on his neck. Uzumaki then turned to look their way and he blinked, as if just noticing them for the first time. "Oh, hey, it's the Tenshi and...Some nerd."

"Intellectual-Er, I mean, um...Q-Quack?" Neptune grimaced at his own nervousness getting the best of him. Yang stifled a snort and looked away when the blue-haired boy glared at her. She returned her gaze to the grinning blond teen.

"Ah, a fellow member of the Remnant Duck Watching Committee. An appropriate representation of the Majestic Mistral Quaker," he said with a sage-like nod as his arms folded over his chest. He then gave them a once over, mildly denting Yang's pride when he hardly leered in her way at all, before he looked back at the short fellow that caught them. "So, Spider, what'd you bring them here for?"

"You had me stay back to catch any would-be sneak attackers or followers." Spider shrugged. "Never told me what to do with them when I did."

"That should be obvious!" Uzumaki groaned and rolled his eyes. "You knock them out and get them out of the building. Then you set the bombs-"

"The what?!" "You have _bombs_!?" "Oh, right, _right_!" Yang and Neptune gaped at Uzumaki while Spider palmed his head.

Uzumaki opened his mouth, closed it, and tilted his head.

"Yeah, that maybe, but it'll look cool." Uzumaki nodded. He refocused on the two teens and crossed his arms. "So, what drove you to follow me? You a couple of Junior's bouncers? I thought he had The Twins working for him...Oh! Maybe this means they'll come back to Hel!"

"H-Hell?" Neptune croaked out, his eyes wide.

"Not like it matters since Raven-sama kicked you to the curb." Jackal pointed out.

Uzumaki's grin didn't drop in the slightest as he quickly drew The Samaritan from where it was holstered and aimed it at the man. The trigger was pulled and Jackal yelped as he dove to the ground, barely avoiding the shot.

"What did you learn?" Uzumaki asked, a brow raised.

"That you have great reflexes?"

"...Eh, close enough." Uzumaki shrugged as he holstered the behemoth of a handgun once more. The whiskered blond then turned back to his captured duo, only to notice the intense stare leveled on him by the formerly lilac-eyed blond. He blinked and pointed at her now red eyes, invading her personal space. "Whoa! You can change your eye color, too?! That's so _cool_ -! Wait, is that part of your semblance? Do you have any Duckbutt-head douchebags in your family?"

"What was that name?" Yang asked, ignoring his questions. She stepped forward insistently, glaring at him. "The name that jackass said, what was it!?"

Uzumaki's head tilted and he backed away. Then he squinted his eyes and rubbed his chin as he looked Yang over again.

"...Ohh...No wonder you seem so familiar..." He muttered, but not soft enough to go unheard. Yang took another step towards him, ignoring the tightening of her binds and the small cuts that she received from them.

"You _know_ where she is!" Yang growled. "Tell me!"

Uzumaki rubbed his chin and then pushed her back with his finger.

"No." A small grin spread across his face when her hair burst into flames. He held his hand up. "At least, not for free."

"How's a black eye sound?"

"I got two, already, so _pass_." Uzumaki chuckled at his own joke and crossed his arms. "Tell you what, Tenshi. I'll do you one better. I'll take you to see _Raven_ -sama, maybe even _meet_ her, but it won't come cheap."

"Name it." Yang growled. Depending on his request, she'd either lie and kick his ass, or accept and kick his ass. Either way, once she was out of these binds, Yang was going to knock the guy around for his answers – cutie or not.

"You sure? Because this offer is mighty costly..." Uzumaki's smile dimmed and his eyes gained a slightly hollow look in them. "You might not like it."

"Name. Your. Price." Yang grit out. Uzumaki's eyes regained the manic gleam that was previously present.

"I want _you_." Uzumaki pointed at Yang.

The blonde bombshell would've scoffed if she wasn't so busy considering how badly she'd kick his ass for his gall. Yeah, Yang knew she was attractive, and she didn't mind being eye-candy, but she was _not_ a prize. She wasn't going to bend over for anyone. So the second she was free, she was going to hit him right where it hurt and-

He then moved his finger over to point behind her, right where Neptune was.

"To bring me _his_ head."

The fire in Yang's eyes snuffed out instantly.

"W...What?"

"I want _you_ to kill your friend." Uzumaki's grin became wide. He leaned in until they were inches away. "I'll even let you do it while he's all tied up. That way there's no muss, no fuss...And no coconuts."

"Or witnesses!" Jackal chimed from where he laid on the ground. He jumped back to the bed when The Samaritan was pulled out and fired at him. "Oi! Boss! You're wasting ammo!"

"So?" Uzumaki kept his gaze even with Yang's. "You _still_ want to know where Raven-sama is?"

Yang just continued to stare at him, in disbelief.

In denial.

He...He wasn't serious. He couldn't be serious. Right? ...Right!?

"Oh, I'm _dead_ serious." Her fellow blond's grin fell and he put on a blank face. He pointed at himself. "Note just how serious I am. You want Raven-sama? You bring me his head."

"...Y-Yang?" Neptune asked shakily.

Yang ignored the Mistral student, her mind racing. She was so close.

 _So_ close.

All she had to do was...was k...

"No."

Yang's mind was made up in an instant. As badly as she wanted to find her mo-find Raven, she was _not_ going to kill a friend over it. Yang glared defiantly at the surprised blink Uzumaki made. Her eyes burned red.

"I'll kick your ass and beat it out of you, before I ever consider killing a friend."

Uzumaki's face remain blank for another moment before his smile returned, this one more genuine than demented. As if he was... _proud_ of her decision.

"Good." He laughed as he backed out of her face. He walked by her and as soon as he was behind her, the wire that bound her dropped to the ground. " _Very_ good."

Yang's gauntlets were around her fists and she prepared to turn to throw a punch, but stilled. Only because of the blade held at her throat. _Not_ because of the sudden closeness that she and her fellow blond shared. _Definitely_ not because she could feel his calloused hand wrapped firmly around her other arm. _Certainly_ not because of the way his breath washed over the shell of her ear and sent a shiver down her spine.

It was because of the blade at her neck, and only because of the blade at her neck.

And, maybe, just slightly, because of the words that followed.

"Those who break the rules are trash...but those that betray their friends are _worse_ than trash." Uzumaki's soft declaration did _not_ make her heart pound. His husky voice did _not_ make her stomach flip.

Yang had to tell herself that she was _not_ attracted to the certified psychopath that had just told her to kill her (admittedly very new) friend while he held them hostage.

"Maybe I'll tell you where Raven-sama is some other time." Uzumaki's low voice gained a playful tone and Yang knew he was smiling. "But, you've got a call, so...I'll leave you my card. Catch ya 'round, _Tenshi_."

The edge at her throat was thrown hard and fast at the wall, just as the lighting in the small room flickered. Neptune – or maybe, but unlikely, Junior – let out a small shriek, before the lights came back on. Yang stood in the middle of the safe room, eyes wide as she stared at the dangling playing card that hung from the ringed end of Uzumaki's weapon.

...She was not turned on. No sir, Yang was not turned on by the psychopath with the sexy voice, and the cute face and those deep, wounded blue eyes that looked like the ocean after a storm-Focus, Yang!

"Yang! Focus!"

Lilac eyes blinked back into focus and Yang found Neptune standing in front of her, giving her a concerned look that had just a hint of justified wariness in it. Yang stumbled for a moment before she felt a vibration in her pocket. A quick, if not small and false, smile given to Neptune, Yang recomposed herself and pulled her scroll out.

"H-Hey, ahem." Yang cleared her throat to get rid of the crack that broke through. "Hey, Ruby, what's up?"

" _Yang! There's a giant robot chasing Blake and Sun!_ "

"Wait, what?"

* * *

 **REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: ...Holy shit, Vol. 4...Ladies and gentlemen. I believe...We have a Greed. Frankly?**

 **I** _ **love**_ **it.**

 **AN 2: Oh, yeah, and Engineer4Ever made a reading of this story. But, whatever. I mean did you see that Grimm!? ...Ugh...So cool.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Anarchy Of A Storm**

 **Abrupt Course Change  
**

* * *

 _So Tenshi, hm?_

Ma's question implied that, had she a way to express it, she'd have her eyebrow raised and a scrutinizing look locked on Naruto. Thankfully, she didn't – she was only a voice in his head after all – and Naruto was easily able to shake off the feeling of his spine falling out as he raced across the rooftops of Vale.

Why the urgency? Well, there were two reasons for that. The first and most important reason being that you did not linger after a job. Ever. No signatures, no hovering over a job well done – the residents and members of Hel considered any job where the police were stupefied as such – and leave absolutely no evidence behind. Raven-sama beat that lesson into him quite literally. Really, all new bloods had to have the rule burned into their skin; it was part of the initiation/probationary process. Naruto was unlucky enough to get it right in between his shoulders and it remained there for a good year and a half before he was allowed to have it healed or covered up.

The second and not as important reason was a good amount of carnage being performed that had drawn Naruto's attention when he made his leave from The Club. Being that he was denied any information that would turn his confrontation with Neechan the Bitch from fantasy to reality, Naruto wanted to vent out some of his bottled up negativity. More so than he was able to with Junior, that is, and the only reason that beat down was so 'mild' – in the sense that Junior would walk away _alive_ from it, which is more than others can claim – was because Naruto really _didn't_ want to kill him.

 _I'm waiting..._ Ma drawled. Hell, now Naruto could imagine that she'd have been tapping her foot if she had one.

"What do you _want_ me to say, Ma?" Naruto asked in annoyance as he vaulted over an air conditioning unit and used a flagpole like a springboard to clear the street below him. Being turned into paste was not on his agenda tonight. He landed firmly on another rooftop and slowed to a trot as he stared at a car dangling precariously over the edge of the highway.

 _Talk about car troubles,_ Naruto thought privately in amusement before he responded to the impatiently cleared throat. " _What_? Do you want me to say that I didn't mean it? That you're _prettier_ than Tenshi? News flash: You're a _voice_ inside my _head_ , Ma! I'll lie to you if it makes you feel better, but it doesn't change the facts."

 _You-! ...I just don't think she's as_ angelic _as you're making her out to be._ Ma's forced tone made Naruto arch a brow, but he remained silent when Old Man spoke up.

 _I think what your-What Ma is trying to say is that she doesn't_ like _Raven's daughter._ Old Man offered.

 _It's not that I don't like her, it's that we don't know if she'll reciprocate whatever it is you feel for her. If you feel anything at all, that is._ Ma pointed out. _For all you know, she might just want to use you to get closer to Raven!_

"Maybe, but she's got pretty... eyes..." Naruto trailed off as he came to a stop on the edge of a roof that oversaw the highway. More, mobile cars were being tossed left and right by a massive suit, a hunk of crap that Naruto recognized all too well. The whiskered blond palmed his face before he gestured wildly at the Paladin. "Oh, come _on_! How'd one of _those_ get here? I destroyed the only one at the facility when I snatched the doc...tor... Oh, _crap_!"

 _This is why I told you to leave him with a clone instead of by himself!_ Old Man chided. Naruto raked his fingers down over his eyes and released an exasperated groan.

"Yes, I should've. No use crying over it now. Hindsight can kiss my ass." Naruto grumbled. He glared at the massive mech and watched impassively as the girl he called Tenshi drove up behind it on a motorcycle. Naruto's scowl increased dramatically as he watched the Nerd, who was riding bitch behind Tenshi, stood and leapt at the mechanical monster, only to be knocked away into a blond Faunus (presuming that yellow thing coming out of the teen's backside was a tail and not a rope or, god forbid, a figment of Naruto's frighteningly infrequent imagination).

"Sonovabitch," Naruto said when the teenage boys were knocked to a relatively nearby rooftop. "This would be so much easier to catch up to if Skater didn't still have my ride!"

 _The 'Heap of Stupid Shit', as you so elegantly call it?_ Ma asked. Naruto could hear the incredulous tone and frowned as she continued. _Why not just scrap it and get a new car? You can afford it. I've seen your bank account_

"Well for one thing, it's _my_ Heap of Stupid Shit!" Naruto shot back as he leapt to the next rooftop to keep an eye on Tenshi as she pursued the Paladin. "And for another...I got it for my fourteenth birthday from my Hel-Mates."

 _That's...reasonable._ Old Man admitted after a long pause. _Do you think those boys landed safely?_

"I'm sure they're fine. The magic Aura and all that junk probably saved their lives." Naruto mumbled as he stopped and watched the mech tumble off of the freeway. Then the blonde Tenshi parked her bike and jumped down after it. Personally, Naruto would've burst through the barrier on his bike, to look even more like a badass in his pursuit, but that was just his preference.

There was also the fact that Naruto didn't care much for any vehicle aside from H.O.S.S., but that was because he almost got hit by a _lot_ of drivers on one pain in the ass mission. His legs still ached just thinking about that botched job. The blond shook those thoughts away and jumped to a roof that was close to the alleys where the fight had disappeared into.

 _You should go check on them._ Ma suggested before Naruto could leap from the ledge he was on to get a closer look at the fight. The teen let out an annoyed groan, but Ma persisted. _If you didn't care about his or that 'Tenshi's safety, Naruto, you would've just killed them back at the bar._

 _And it should be noted that checking on them would put you in a good light, making Vale's law force less likely to assume you're the cause for the fire and the incident at The Club,_ Old Man said.

Naruto conceded to that, he did need less publicity.

Not to mention that the fight was probably almost over – the Tenshi was a power type fighter and those types were very effective against anyone like whatever Pussy-With-A-Paladin she was facing. Naruto would admit he _was_ curious about the Nerd's safety. He was a skittish dork, and sure, he didn't _like_ Naruto – if not outright feared the insane blond – but it wasn't like Naruto wanted to see him dead. The guy never did anything to him.

...Okay, he mildly annoyed Spider and by extension Naruto, but aside from that, Nerd and that Faunus guy didn't have to go out like a pair of chumps.

With this thought in mind, the blond made his way over to where the younger teen and the Faunus had landed. Naruto arrived to find the Nerd checking over the Faunus' leg.

"Just a sprain, you should be fine in a sec." The Nerd reassured the other teen with a relieved grin while the Faunus groaned.

Naruto pursed his lips, since abnormal healing speed was often associated with aura, and most civilians had their auras locked away. That meant these two were Huntsmen-in-Training, though Naruto guessed that at least The Nerd had back when he guessed the same for Tenshi. Though he wondered now if they did it in school or if they had an accident like some of the Hel-Spawn Naruto worked with did.

 _I wonder if there is an age limit to unlocking aura,_ Old Man said suddenly. _With chakra, we know that it has to be done while young so that the pathway system can grow, otherwise it withers down to the bare minimum._

"...Old Man, do you know that you've got a very bad habit of your musing sounding like the terrible exposition from Ero-Sennin's books?" Naruto asked. Ma burst into laughter while Old Man spluttered indignantly.

Distracted by the voices in his head, Naruto was brought back to reality when the blue-haired boy yelped after realizing that he was 'suddenly' perched right next to them atop an air conditioning unit. The nerd fumbled with his rifle for a moment before he aimed at the whiskered blond. Naruto cracked a grin and pushed the rifle out of his face.

"Oh, relax, Nerd Boy, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help!" He declared valiantly. He looked to the golden-haired Faunus that was still groaning on the ground.

 _Ooh, he's cute._ Ma cooed.

Naruto let out a hum of thought, but decided not to comment as he stared the younger teen down. He gave off a warmth, as if the sun radiate from him, and dressed very loosely. The teen appeared to be what Naruto had overheard the barkeep from Hel call a 'total hottie'. At least the guy wasn't a 'brooding beauty', like his old Frienemy, but there was a charm about him.

The sudden feeling had Naruto pursing his lips in thought. Was he attracted to this Faunus? Odd, Naruto hadn't really considered himself capable of being attracted to other men after what happened between himself and his Frienemy on the last day of their class. Then again, there was that whole thing with Haku...damn that boy/girl's androgynous features! To this day, Naruto wasn't sure if Haku was fucking with his head when he/she said that he/she was a boy.

 _That is not funny. That will never be funny. Stop trying to be funny!_ Old Man grumbled at Ma, oblivious to Naruto's sudden concern over his sexual preferences and the gender of a long-dead friendly foe.

 _What? He's like a tailed, whisker-less Naruto with_ your-Naruto's father's _girly face! ...Damn, I bet he could grate cheese on those abs!_ Ma whistled in appreciation at the toned definition as the Faunus got up with Naruto's assistance.

"Probably, but I bet that the smell would linger something awful," Naruto said thoughtfully to himself when his fellow blond took a step back. "Nice to meet the Nerd and Tenshi's teammate. I think he kept talking about you when I captured him."

 _Naruto, be nice!_ Old Man and Ma barked while the Faunus gave an amused look to the blushing blue-haired boy.

"My name is Neptune!" The rifle-bearing boy growled. "And you didn't capture me, your goon did."

"Yeah, yeah. Spare me the details." Naruto rolled his eyes and met the cautious, but amused, gaze the monkey-tailed Faunus had locked on him. He grinned. "Let me guess, Son Goku, right?"

 _Dammit, Naruto!_ Ma and Old Man groaned while the Monster snarled in annoyance.

"I'm Sun Wukong, yeah." The Faunus, Sun Wukong, nodded slowly, not at all reacting to the complete butchering of his name.

 _...Roll with it!_ Old Man and Ma advised.

 _Rip his head off!_ The Monster roared. Naruto blinked, confused by the sudden demand, but brushed it off. He would address it later. Maybe.

"Cool, cool." Naruto nodded back and stuck his hand into his pocket while he ignored the voices in his head. "...This is awkward isn't it? I mean, you guys just got knocked out five minutes into the fight, I'm some random psychopath that's helping you for some reason unknown, and The Nerd's _still_ got his rifle aimed at me."

"Dude!" Sun admonished his teammate and Neptune looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?! He just admitted to being a psychopath! I think some precaution is called for in this case!"

 _To be fair, he's got a good point,_ Old Man said. _You did admit to being unstable, and that's dangerous. Especially when you're infamous._

"Whose side are you on?" Naruto asked, his eye twitching as he glared with glazed over blues, at nothing in particular. A loud explosion caught his attention and he turned away from the teens. Looking down – notably from the surprisingly _fantastic_ vantage point they had – at the ends of the fight against the Paladin, Naruto spotted a white coat, a black bowler cap and an _awesome_ shade of orange hair.

"Well, this has been fun. Goku, always nice to meet the Hope of the Universe. Nerd, keep on quacking, man." The two teens were unable to speak when Naruto saluted at them. He then executed a perfect swan dive into a dumpster over five stories below and hopped out of the bin unscathed.

Sun and Neptune stared at each other in disbelief before the latter snapped and gestured at the spot Naruto previously occupied.

" _See_?! Psychopath!" The blue-haired boy ranted. He clapped a hand over his eyes "I should've pulled the trigger! Now he knows our names _and_ our faces!"

"Didn't he know your face already?" Sun asked. Neptune blanched and hung his head. Sun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I dunno, dude, I think he's kinda funny."

"...You were dropped on your head as a child, weren't you?" Neptune asked dryly.

"Not dignifying that with an answer. Who cares if he's crazy?" Sun shrugged, his carefree grin back on his face. "We're _all_ a bit nuts considering what we want to do with our lives."

Neptune opened his mouth and raised his index finger, fully prepared to argue against his claim, but then sighed and slumped forward when he realized that Sun's logic was...correct.

Dammit.

* * *

"It's been fun kiddos!" Roman called to the four girls that destroyed his Paladin. He cracked a grin when they prepared to rush him, and stood by Neo. Neo cracked a small smile and twirled her parasol before she rested it on her shoulder. Roman let his partner-in-crime envelop him in her semblance so they could slip away. Still, being who he was, he had to get in a final taunt. "But, it's past your bedtime, so we'll have to continue this another day-"

"ELEMENT OF SURPRISE!" A yellow blur tackled Roman from the side to the ground, further away from the girls, and quickly turned to throw a short dagger of some sort at Neo.

The ice-cream-haired was caught off guard by the weapon for about a fraction of a second. Neo used her umbrella to knock the throwing knife away, but it didn't go far enough that she was able to avoid the blast radius. She was sent off a good distance away, slammed back first into a pillar holding the highway up, and slumped to the ground.

A pair of hands tightly grabbed the thief's collar, kicked away his cane, and pulled Roman up so that he was face-to-face with his assailant. The blond's mouth spread into a wide, shit-eating grin and he dealt out a quick, restrained head butt that shattered the thief's nose before Roman could place the face to a name.

"How's it goin', Firecrotch? Didja miss me?" The teen asked the man as he tried to grab at his bleeding nose. The blond had none of that, though, and kept shouldering away the hands. "All the good men still helping your mom whenever she needs it?"

That was more than enough of a clue to tell the dazed thief who had him by the throat.

"Ohh, great. First those weird kids and now you're here." Roman grumbled as he glared at the without-a-care-in-the-world grin on the teen's face. The snark in his voice left abruptly when he was slammed back of the head first into the ground. A dazed groan escaped him as he was lifted back up.

"Be nice! Those weird kids as you call them are going to be my friends." The teen, Uzumaki, warned with a playfully dark undertone. "Scary, isn't it?"

"Not really." Roman grunted. He cracked a small smirk. "All you freaks love to flock together."

"Wow... That...That actually hurt my feelings more than I thought it would. And here I thought we had something special." Uzumaki frowned and his bottom lip warbled before he barked out a laugh. His smile vanished and a dark gleam that sent a shiver down Roman's spine appeared in his eye. "I have a question that I want you to answer for me: Where's the _Bitch_?"

"Ah, shit." Roman grimaced. Of all the times for _Cinder's_ mistakes to bite _him_ in the ass, it had to be _now_ and with _this_ madman, didn't it? Roman tried to put on a brave front, but couldn't as he realized that this probably wouldn't end favorably for him. A realization he apparently managed to speak, because the younger teen cut him off before he could finish the question.

"This isn't going to end well for you, no." Uzumaki's smile was still gone and the scowl slowly deepening. Another knife was pulled out and the edge was held tightly against his face, the tip just a hair away from cutting the thief's eyeball. Roman did his best to remain absolutely still even as his cheek started to sting as the cool night breeze rushed into the shallow cut the blade left. "And the longer you draw _this_ out, the longer I draw _you_ out."

"That-That doesn't make sense, but it's still frightening." Roman admitted. Uzumaki shrugged and gained a predator's smile.

"I always promise to try." The toothy grin disappeared and the amused blue eyes burned red. "Now. I _won't_ ask again: Where. Is. The. Bitch?"

"You don't-" Roman's voice cracked just slightly, covered hurriedly with a clearing throat. He narrowed his eyes and tried to buy just enough time for Neo to get off of her ass and get him out of this situation. "You don't scare me."

"R...Really?" Uzumaki asked. His right golden brow had arched up in a challenging manner.

"Really." Roman hoped he sounded as confident in his words as he thought he did.

" _Really_?" Uzumaki's lips pulled back in a small smile.

"Yes! Really!" Roman snapped. A subtle gesture of movement caught his eye and he smirked. Just a few more seconds, hopefully he could manage to stall a little bit longer. "You good guys are all the same. That other night, what you did shocked me, yeah. You had backup, then; a group of hardcore professionals that followed you and are notably missing from this equation. All you've got now are a bunch of freaky school kids. And you know you won't break their innocent minds."

"..." Uzumaki took a deep breath through his nose and pursed his lips. He closed his eyes for a moment and then let Roman drop. "You know what? You're right. I _don't_ want to break their innocent minds. ...Yes, really."

Roman smirked triumphantly. His bluff paid off, Neo was already back on her feet and–

Now pinned to the pillar she already slammed into by no less than ten more of those knives. Where the heck did those even come from? And why were they smoking at the handles?

The pillar Neo was pinned to was suddenly engulfed in a massive cloud of smoke and debris as the knives exploded. Uzumaki pulled his beast of a handgun out and fired three shots into the residual rubble before he pointed it down at Roman. Aimed right at the man's forehead.

 _Huh..._ Roman thought suddenly. _I never even thought to try escaping._

"Pretty sure she'll be okay, not sure if I even hit her with that. Could've been another _bullshit_ clone." Uzumaki's musing made Roman's eyes bug out. Had Neo already encountered Uzumaki before? Why didn't she say any-Er, why didn't she try to warn him about the crazed freak? Or _Cinder_?!

"Hey! _My_ clones aren't bullshit! They're as solid as I am and kick as much ass-It has to be a hard smack!" Uzumaki's head suddenly tilted to the side and he hummed. "It's not like I haven't considered it. She is kind of cute. And I do like how her hair looks. ...Yeah, that figures. Keeping me isolated from any girl I come across...You really are an overprotective mother or what I presume to be one, aren't you?"

 _Is...Is he serious right now?_ Roman wondered. Seeing the blond break off into a spiel and argue with someone who wasn't there was morbidly fascinating. It was like watching a car crash or a train derail. Roman couldn't bring himself to look away.

That is, until the sirens sounded.

"They're surprisingly on time for once. That so _figures_ ," Uzumaki said with an annoyed growl. He looked back down at Roman and his upper lip curled back in disgust. His finger strained against the trigger before he angrily holstered the gun and grabbed the man's collar angrily. Roman found himself hoisted up to Uzumaki's face. Then, the aforementioned trigger finger was an inch away from the thief's face as the younger man snarled. "Don't think this is over, Firecrotch! I'm going to be your first visitor in jail, and believe me, you'll wish that you'd dropped the soap by the time I'm done with you!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Roman asked. "Is that a threat?"

"Bitch when I'm done with you, you will _always_ be silent and deadly! And-" Uzumaki paused and turned away to grumble under his breath at voices only he heard. By this point, Roman wished that the little psychopath had just shot him and was done with it.

" _VPD! Nobody move!_ " one of the law enforcement officers called with the use of a megaphone.

Uzumaki growled again and shoved Roman to the ground before he dove headfirst into a nearby dumpster. Roman blinked incredulously at the act and ignored the dull throb he felt at the back of his head.

A hand belonging to a girl much smaller than himself pulled Roman back to his feet. After he fought off the dizziness that came with his head trauma, the thief leveled his associate with a hard glare.

"Well, did you enjoy your nap?" He snarked. Mismatched eyes rolled and Roman scowled. "We have a lot to talk about, Neo. Now hurry up and get us out of here!"

Neo tilted her head before she nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Alright, what did we learn today?" Naruto muttered while he bounced around in the back of the VPD's armored personnel carrier. He was accompanied by two VPD officers fully decked out in riot gear, both seated across from him and most of their faces were hidden by their helmets, with only their mouths visible. Their stun batons were out and in their hands, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

 _Hiding in a dumpster doesn't work in the slightest?_ Ma asked. It was almost mocking, but to be fair, she had told him to hoof it instead of jump into a pile of trash.

"Hey, I was running on adrenaline! I reacted instinctively! Most people back home wouldn't search dumpsters..." Naruto argued childishly, a pout already on his face.

 _Most people back home don't have a chance of having mammalian scavenger traits in their DNA._ Old Man pointed out. Naruto's pout increased at the almost parental chiding in the voice's tone.

"Okay, so I didn't think before I acted. I _really_ have to stop doing that," Naruto said. He chuckled and let his head tilt back and rest against the wall of the truck. "Then again, thinking is nothing but a drag."

 _Please don't quote the Nara._ Ma and Old Man pleaded simultaneously, which earned a snicker from the blond. His snicker elected a small snort from one of the two officers.

"What's so funny?" the guy on the left asked.

"Nothin'. Just thinking 'bout the last time I was chained up like this. Naruto lifted his hands to shake the shackles awkwardly, since they were connected to his feet and neck by a short chain that restricted his movements. A bittersweet smile settled on his face. "It was my sixth birthday, good times. Got all I could eat at the Ramen stand."

 _Good ol' Teuchi!_ Old Man chimed in happily. _Wait, why were you all chained up when you were six?!_

"I don't want to talk about it...although, that reminds me..." Naruto arched a brow and set his hands back in his lap. "Tell me again, officer. What are my charges?"

"Assault with a deadly weapon, trespassing, destruction of public and private property, and then there's the charges from Mistral and Atlas that label you as a terrorist-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! _Hey_! If anything, I am a _freedom_ _fighter_! Not a _terrorist_! I fight for the right to partyall night! Terrorism, the mere thought disgusts me!" Naruto spat and his loogie missed the right officer's shoe by a hair. Apparently, that was enough incentive to earn the blond a sharp jab from the officer's stun baton. Naruto convulsed and warbled as the current raced through his nervous system.

"Duck, you have got to work on that temper." The left officer deadpanned to his partner. The right officer huffed and rubbed his stun baton while he watched Naruto convulse.

"For all we know, his semblance has something to do with his spit. Maybe it's acidic. Maybe it's explosive. I'm just being careful, Hill." The right officer, Duck, argued. "Besides, he just basically admitted to being the terrorist wanted by Atlas and Mistral!"

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when the Captain nails your balls to the wall for the coming excessive force charge." Hill muttered. Duck shrugged and Hill shook his head in disgust. He looked at Naruto when the blond groaned and righted himself. "How'd that feel, Funny Guy?"

"...That hurt, but also brought back a lot of memories. Like that time my best friend shoved his hand through my chest. Good times!" Naruto chuckled and looked at Duck. "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"

Duck and Hill looked at each other before they looked back at the smiling blond. Duck leaned forward and tapped the side of his helmet.

"You're not all there, are you?" he asked.

 _No. You are. I made sure of that._ The Monster growled. It snorted. _Though, whether or not your sanity is intact is another matter entirely._

"No one asked you!" Naruto snapped harshly, glaring at his navel as he did. Unfortunately for Naruto, this earned him another stun baton stab to the gut and he divulged into another spat of convulsions. Hill turned to look at Duck again. Duck shrugged.

"The suspect was getting volatile," he said.

"You are _so_ getting suspended."

"With the animals acting up like they are? Yeah, I doubt it. Besides, it's not like you're going to turn me in."

 _You know, the fact that these two are officers of the law frightens me. A_ lot _._ Old Man deadpanned.

 _It's not often we agree on something, but I agree. Begrudgingly._ The Monster snarled.

 _By the Will of Ramen, I never thought this day would come..._ Ma whispered in awe.

"Wh-Wh-what ar-r-r-re the cha-a-ances?" Naruto asked while he convulsed.

 _All of my hate goes to your damnable bloodline, Uzumaki. All of it!_ The Monster roared. Naruto was faintly able to hear Ma snicker and Old Man sigh before he tuned out of the conversation when the APC came to a sudden and abrupt stop. Naruto groaned from the blow he took to the head and twitched from the residue electricity that raced through his body.

"Whoa! Easy on the breaks! Did you just get your license or something?" Duck demanded of the driver. The view-slot slid open and a short four-inch long barrel slid through the grate that protected the driver from being grabbed by a would-be escapee. The officers' let out alarmed cry before four muffled pops silenced them forever.

"A license? Shit, man, don't they know that ain't nobody got time for that?" Snorted the driver in an endearingly annoying manner. At hearing the driver's voice and the words he used, Naruto groaned again.

"Raven-sama sent _Mad Dog McQuaid_ after me?" He asked aloud. "Just kill me now."

Mad Dog McQuaid was one of Hel's high-ranking members, and since the ranking was determined by the amount of successful jobs as well as the fees acquired through said jobs, that said a lot. Most thought that he was a horribly disfigured man that hid his face behind a crimson helmet and there were rumors that he was somewhere in his seventies or that he'd been alive for just a little more than a century. Naruto knew from his occasional (possibly invasive) search through Hel's de-classified files that McQuaid _was_ the man's real name, but that Mad Dog was something the other denizens started to call him.

Enough time around the man and you understood why.

"Bub, you're asking for too much, and that's not the job. Now sit tight and I'll be back there in a jiffy-" McQuaid's teasing tone cut off when something suddenly barreled into the side of the APC. The vehicle rolled for quite some time until two buildings were kind enough to halt its momentum.

Despite this, Naruto's head continued to figuratively roll around and he groaned beneath the weight of the two corpses that he found himself under.

"What the hell was that?!" he finally managed to ask. The reply he got was not reassuring.

"No more rollercoasters for me, Janie. I don't wanna go upside down again..."

No, McQuaid's groggy and gurgled reply didn't reassure Naruto in the slightest. Then there was the sharp creak of metal as something pulled along the impacted wall of the APC.

 _You need to get out of here, Naruto!_ Old Man barked.

"Yeah, no need to tell me twice." Naruto muttered as he wriggled his way down towards the back doors of the APC. He stopped abruptly when an obsidian blade suddenly pierced through the hull, just an inch away from it being stabbed into his left eye. The blade retracted and a golden eye with small flakes of black speckled around the pupil stared down at the blond.

"Heh, would you look at that? Right where he said you'd be." The eye's owner chuckled in a masculine, if not also a disturbingly crazed (and this is _Naruto_ who believes it to be disturbing) way. "He really _can_ see the future."

The eye backed away and a thin obsidian tendril shoved itself into the hole. Now, Naruto wasn't one to freely disclose his past-times in regards to what sort of after-dark entertainment he viewed, but one of the few things he stayed away from was anything involving tentacles. Partially because of the poor quality that had been in his first viewing, but mostly because tentacles didn't _choose_. They just _did_.

"I am not getting killed by a tentacle monster! That is the last fuckin' straw!" Naruto declared as he shimmied away from the approaching ooze. There was a heavy punch against the side of the overturned APC and the Golden-Eyed Man snarled.

"Even if I _was_ going to do _that_ , which I'm not, I'd be the best you ever got you little shit-stain!"

 _He sounds frighteningly confident about that,_ Ma said worriedly. _Naruto! You have to shimmy! Shimmy for your life!_

"Again! Goes without saying!" Naruto snapped as he resumed his frantic – and awkward, Naruto was not happy that he has to climb over two stupid cops' corpses to get out of the damn death trap – crawl towards the doors.

Golden-Eye Man's obsidian tentacle felt around and snagged one of the corpses – Duck, Naruto thinks – by the ankle. The tentacle suddenly expanded like a massive garbage bag and the corpse was swallowed in, lost to the vast darkness. That spurned Naruto on to not only hurry his crawl to the door, but also try and get himself out of his binds.

 _You know, I bet the officers might've had keys on them._ Old Man chimed. Naruto's eye twitched furiously and he stopped his occasional pull on the chains.

"Old Man, I would _punch_ you through the gut if you had one!" He snarled. He turned around and began to search the remaining corpse. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?!"

 _I was trying to determine who or what is trying to kill you. I figured you would've gotten an idea like that._

"...You can't regenerate your head. You can't regenerate your head. You can't regenerate your head..." Naruto told himself repeatedly to not act on the idea of shooting himself _just_ to make an attempt to kill Old Man. While he recited the five words like a mantra, he furiously searched the remaining corpse for a set of keys. He paused momentarily at the sound of something regurgitating.

Naruto was used to being the cause of that sound for some of his earlier jobs, hence why he was familiar with it.

"Ugh, god, that guy was a _cop_!? Jeez-Louise Agnes! What the _fuck_ is wrong with Vale!?"

 _Hm, the consumption of a body allows for assimilation of memories? Does the head have to be intact? Or can it be as small as a blood sample?_ Old Man wondered.

 _Dear, your evil scientist side is showing again._ Ma chided.

 _I'm not like Orochimaru!_ Old Man protested.

"That's up for debate – A-ha!" Naruto grinned as he pulled up a ring of keys that had a rubber duck keychain on them. He blinked at the accessory and then paled. "Wait, so...if this is Duck..."

 _Don't think about it! Just escape!_ Old Man and Ma urged. Naruto shook his head and nodded as he began to undo the cuffs. When he was free, he tossed the chains away and rolled away when the tentacle stabbed down at him. Like before, the obsidian organic snagged the corpse and devoured it.

Naruto the new sound of retching as he began to ram his shoulder into the back doors. It took a few tries, but finally, Naruto managed to burst free from the wrecked APC. He fell out of the vehicle and climbed off of the rubble that had been caused when the APC impacted with the building. Naruto looked around.

"Huh," he said. "This looks like a Haven dorm's common room. Must be lights out or-"

"It's being renovated." The echo-y, disturbingly crazed voice of the Golden-Eyed Man made Naruto still and he slowly turned around to finally get a good look of his hunter, who stood right behind him.

The man wasn't bulky, but there was a mass of some sort of obsidian organic ... _thing_ that gave the illusion of it. His face was clean-shaven, but the weird organism that surrounded him showed digging into his flesh, actively moving beneath his skin. It looked like black roots that were still growing or exposed veins pulsing. His eyes were bright gold, almost like a Grimm's, but lacking the red sclera that would surround the yellow orbs of mindlessness.

The man smiled, revealing sharper than average teeth that lined his mouth and lifted his – calling that thing a claw was an insult to Faunus who had such extremities – talon-tipped finger. It slowly advanced until it was halted by something. It was then that Naruto realized that only a window separated them. Instinctively, Naruto reached for the Samaritan and Baby.

Neither were there. Naruto's eyes slowly widened in horror as he remembered that another officer took all of his weapons in a _separate_ cruiser. Everything. His guns, his kunai, his shuriken, his utility belt, and even the ammo in his vest.

The talon pressed into the glass and a drawn out _skree_ was heard as the hand it belonged to dragged slowly around the window.

 _Naruto!_ Old Man shouted. _Move! You have to move!_

 _Make some clones! A Rasengan! Do_ something _!_ Ma ordered.

Naruto kept his eyes locked with those of the Golden-Eyed Man. He could try clones, but judging by the multiple tendrils that sprouted from his back, they wouldn't do much to stop the guy. The Rasengan could wound it and give him some time to run away, but someone else sent this guy after him. He had a feeling it wouldn't give him much time to run, or rest, afterwards.

The glass shattered as the slow hand that dragged across the surface suddenly smashed through. It wrapped around Naruto's throat and pulled him close, just as the Golden-Eyed Man's upper face was covered by a white variant of the substance, resembling a large Grimm mask. The bottom part of his mouth became a wide, reptilian smile.

"Before I assimilate you, allow me to introduce you to your future brilliance," The Golden-Eyed Man said, his monstrous mouth not moving as he spoke. "My name is Erik Bagley."

"...Hi." Naruto greeted, as well as he could, as the hand around his neck cut off his airways. "...Uh, any reason you're going to kill me? Um, is it...Did I kill your brother or something?"

"Nah, you're just another job." Bagley's toothy smile didn't change in the slightest. "Nothing personal. You understand."

"Unfortunately." Naruto agreed tightly, as the hand slowly crushed his esophagus. Naruto's eyes slowly began to roll into his head and he was lifted off the ground. Air became harder to take in, let alone release. A feeble last attempt to retaliate was made by his hands, which grabbed onto the obsidian organic arm that held him, but they became very cold as the organic material engulfed them.

 _Boy..._ The Monster within called softly and drew Naruto's attention. Old Man and Ma were faintly heard calling for him. For once in the few years he'd been preferring their presence, at the moment he ignored them in favor of The Monster. _This being is_ not _natural. It is a threat to our existence. It must die here and now._

"Heh..." Naruto's whisker marks thickened as the taint within started to empower him. His hands balled into tight fists, his knuckles became bone white when red energy bubbled around his core. He grit his teeth and gave the confused Kincaid a pained grin, which revealed his slowly growing fangs. "Weird...I was...going to say...the same thing..."

Bagley's head tilted slightly. "I didn't say anything."

"Wasn't...Talking...to you." Naruto's red eyes flashed and the small bubble of energy that hovered over his navel suddenly engulfed his form. Bagley released a loud wail once the energy encased Naruto's hands and neck. The massive Grimm-like man backed away with his hand pulled against his chest, looking at the steam that came off of it in shock.

"Does it hurt? Trust me, pal. You don't know what pain is." Bagley looked up at the accusation to see the hunched over blond become fully covered by the red energy. The teen's breathing had increased dramatically, becoming a pained pant. When Naruto looked up, Bagley took a wary step back. Furious red eyes glared into Bagley's golden orbs. "Not yet anyway."

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, ending it there. Gonna have a nice fight between Shroud-1 Naruto and Erik Bagley. Took a bit from Marvel this go-around. Can't help it, they're a huge inspiration and frankly, I'd like to see this happen.**

 **Especially now that we see more about how Grimm come to be...God...DAMN, Vol. 4 is going to be A-MAY-ZANG!**

 **You know what to do...**

 **REMAILINBOXTOPS!**


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